Chapter 37
Looking up from my book, I frowned slightly and looked out the window of the train, watching the fields flash by. I couldn't help being worried about Skitter. It felt so odd not to have her around.
But she was likely safer than I was right now.
Swift had volunteered to be my temporary guard until she recovered... if she even wanted the position back after.
When she emerged, she would be a changeling princess. I wasn't sure what that meant really. She used to be a changeling drone. I... I hoped she would still be Skitter. She might have more important things to do then than follow me around though.
I missed my friend.
Turning the page, I looked at the couch across the cabin. Swift was laying there, looking bored out of his mind as he looked out the window, “Bored?” I asked with smile.
He shrugged, “Bit. Well, it's only another day.”
“True but come on, it has to be more exciting than standing outside a door all day.”
That got a snort from him, “I do other things you know. To keep the guards fresh, the guard shift by the doors is only four hours. The rest of the day is patrols and practice.”
I grinned, “Come on, how often do you get to visit the Crystal Empire?”
“Not like I'm going on vacation, I'll be following some stuffy noble around all day.”
I tossed a cookie at him.
He caught it with his magic and ate it with a grin, “So what are the plans for when we arrive?”
Shrugging I closed my book, “Well, Luna is going to be busy for a day or two, but after that I expect things to calm down. I think I'll use those days to explore the city. After that, I think I can give you a couple of days of duty. Four or so.”
Swift grinned at that, “Oh? Not planning to leave the guest rooms after that?”
Another cookie bounced of his armor only to be caught.
“When I do, I'll be next to an alicorn. I won't need a shadow then, even Skitter agreed with that.”
What I didn't say was that he was more right than he thought. Of course, I did also not mention that I had talked to Minuette. His marefriend. I may also have gotten her a ticket to arrive two days after we did and I may also have gotten them a room at the best hotel in the Crystal Empire for those four days he would be there and free to do whatever.
“Speaking of the Princess, when is she getting up now?” he asked and finished off the second cookie.
“Same schedule as in Canterlot. More or less anyway,” I said with a shrug. “Switching things over just for a week just isn't practical. She will force herself to stay awake for the meetings, they are held either very early morning or late afternoon for a reason.”
He nodded, “Must be difficult. With the different schedules I mean. Minuette would kill me if I worked the nightshift more than once in a while.”
I sighed, “Can be. At least I don't have a job with fixed times so I could twist mine to match hers somewhat. Remember I tried to match it completely before? It worked well, but it kept me from doing anything during the day. Besides, she is busy during half the night anyway. But yeah, sometimes it sucks.”'
“Yeah," he agreed before he grinned, “the things we put up with from the mares we love.”
“Hear hear,” I chuckled, wishing I had a cider to salute him with.
The door to the cabin opened and I glanced back to see Princess Celestia enter. Swift slid off the couch and bowed slightly before allowing her inside, leaving the cabin.
“Hey,” I said with a smile as I adjusted my cloak, “Bored?”
She smiled slightly, “A bit. I never did enjoy train rides, there is little to do,” she said as she settled down on the couch Swift had vacated.
“Couldn't you just have teleported or something?”
Celestia smiled at that, “In theory? I could. Would take a couple of teleports, but yes. But that would mean only me and my sister would go. It would leave the hundred or so ponies to take the train in any case.”
“You did once and got chewed out by your guards?” I guessed with a grin.
Her ears flicked in amusement, “Once when I was young. And there was carriages then, not trains. The pegasi guards caught up to me a week later. The head of my personal guard were not pleased,” she admitted before she blushed slightly, “Of course, I made it up to him. We got married a year later.”
I raised a eyebrow at her.
“I was younger then!” she protested and shifted her big wings, “it was before the unification even.”
Chuckling, I shook my head, “I can't help but wonder exactly how much is forgotten from the history books. Because none of them mention your consorts.”
Celestia didn't look happy but sighed, “When I do take a lover, we are discreet about it, even when married. For their safety among other things but things also get lost in time. Luna had been forgotten in a mere thousand years, remember?”
I nodded. That was just sad.
“Yeah.” I agreed.
“It's been almost a hundred years since I found my last consort. Sweety Bell. She was a earth pony mare. So sweet, she started out in the castle kitchens,” Celestia said softly, a small smile on her lips. “You should have seen her. Demure and sweet... unless you made her angry. She was fierce! During a diplomatic function, the griffon ambassador was really rather rude to one of the guests. I don't remember exactly what he said to Lady... hmm, who was it again? Crystal Clear I think. She was very young, I think it was the first one her father took her to... anyway, Crystal Clear was almost in tears, but Sweety Bell wouldn't have any of it. She was just serving drinks, but she walked straight up to the griffon and tore into him. By the end he was cowering on the floor, begging for forgiveness. Her tongue was Sharp. I think that might have been when I fell for her. She was never afraid to talk back to me.”
“I think I would have liked to meet her.”
Celestia nodded with a sad smile, “I think she would have liked you too. But she has been gone for forty years now.”
I nodded to myself as I watched Celestia, her wing tips were drooping slightly. She looked sad, but a small smile was on her lips.
I couldn't help but superimpose her with a mental picture of Luna. Same position, same expression... in a hundred years.
Remembering me.
There was a long moment of silence, each of us lost in our own thoughts before I finally spoke up, “Want to play a game? We can get Swift back in here and try that war game again, that always passes the time. Especially with three players.”
“I would like that.”
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Please add an "f", just to avoid confusion...
This is building to something! I just know it!
"Page, I'm pregnant- or - Page marry me!"
I can't wait!!!
Good chapter.*yawns* Anyway I enjoyed it.
Sweety Bell, Sweetie Belle... coincidence, or possible relation?
7381914 we're also close to Tirek...And I would like to see him wrecking Tirek.
7381970 I know Right? I've been waiti. For that since the first story!
I picture him leading the charge, only to be thrown back. He then charges Tirek alone, chakram at the ready. He gets a hit in, dodges left, then another. Sunset and Moondancer pool their magic and hit the centaur knocking him down, Page goes for the throat, SLASH!
He is then nabbed, Sunset and Moondancer are drained, the right before he is BOOM
"Skitter!?"
(Cue Wonder Woman theme from Batman V Superman.)
7382044 Or this.
Or this.
7381955
Ones a marshmallow, one probably invented marshmallows...
7381746
Even worse in Fallout 4:
"Hey, here's a crater where a bomb so big detonated and wiped out half the state of Massachusetts and made the area a wasteland of radiation lethal at an hour's exposure even two hundred years later. LET'S LIVE THERE!"
Children of Atom: No effin' brains at all.
7381760 You would really wish to try and hurt me?
In that case...yes. I meant the YouTuber. Come here and kill me, asshole.
I'm munching some Famous Amos right now. Coincidence?
Sweety Bell...... who has absolutely no relation to Sweetie Belle.
I know it's probably nothing, but part of me can't help but think that it's some stupid time travel thing.
I can see it now: "So what's your name?" "Uh.... Sweety! Sweety Bell..... with a Y!"
7406679
Could've been worse...
...could've been a LOT worse...
...she could've been "Sweaty Belle"
Seeing that change to the spelling, I can't help but be reminded of the error in my story
Besides, I might end up doing something with that...
spits out drink
S-Sweetie Belle?
7422131
I know this is like, 2 years late, but who's Sweaty Bell? Do you mean the Derpibooru rule 63? Or a really really sweaty Sweetie Belle?
8726868
I would assume the latter.
-Someone who's even later to this comment section than you.
8726868
Sweaty Belle was a typo in one of my stories that lasted at least a few weeks before I finally caught and corrected it.
Don't worry, though. Sweaty Belle will return....
On second thought, you SHOULD worry. In fact, be afraid.
Be VERY AFRAID!
When I read sweety bell, my brain went
WHAT THE FUCK?
Almost said something about Sweety Bell, than i remembered i work with 5 Johns, 3 Daniels, 2 Marias and 9, yes 9 Jessicas.
So, yeah, a second pony named Sweety Bell? Not a problem.
9494121
you should trying have 6 girls all named Ditte, in your class back when you were in school, now that was confusing, and one of them was my girlfriend
9494121
its also spelled diffrently, sweety bell, sweetie belle
10140555
That must have been amusing at times. Call for one, and all of them answer.
10219617
I can only imagine if they ended up being friends. Call her by a pet name, they’d all respond still as a gag. Ugh.
wanna play a game
Sweety Bell?
Sweety Bell... Perhaps she reincarnated
Well... Time for a threeway... Gaming season
10731790
Sneaky bastard!
I wonder why there isn't something like a royal graveyard, I have it planned for all my stories so Celestia etc have their lovers remembered even if thousands of years have run by...
:)
10731790
That's a hilarious take on exactly what I thought when I read that line.
quickmeme.com/img/6e/6e14a529a2049c1401fded7288b946fe4ee1cc288745c14e2c8863839f6ce786.jpg
Reminds me of a reincarnation story or two...
Didn't Blank Page wanted to introduce a guard or two?