I carefully closed the door behind me and looked down on Fern, “Come on, let's go and leave them to it,” I said to the little plant.
His leaf tongue lolled out and he looked quite happy as he padded along in the lead, looking around next to me.
I left Skitter with Celestia, hopefully she will be able to help her get that kind of Princessly thing. I mean, if there was anyone that had that kind of experience it would be Celestia. Of course, she didn't let me leave before I promised to stay in the Castle until she could return to me again.
I was actually a bit worried I wouldn't be able to go anywhere without three or four changelings constantly following me in the future when she couldn't do it herself. Skitter took her duties, self assigned or otherwise, very seriously.
It's almost like she thought I would do something stupid the moment she turned her back.
Taking a left, I paused with my fronthoof just off the floor as I looked into the throneroom for the first time since the fight. Crafts ponies were swarming the place, working the stone and colors. They needed to do repairs anyway and it turned out that Celestia and Luna decided to redecorate the entire thing early to match both their colors instead of just Celestia's. Where Tirek fell, the ground was... I wouldn't call it a crater, but I would say that the marble floor was almost melted in a inverse bubble.
Damn.
I slowly entered the throneroom, allowing Fern a longer length of leash so he could nose around as I moved over to look down on the spot.
The stone looked like it had kinda melted. If the power had not gone through me... shit, it might have blown up the castle. We were so, so very lucky.
“Lord Page. Can we help you?” an earth pony in a hard hat asked as he bowed to me.
I shook my head, “No, please, don't allow us to get in your way,” I said and guided Fern closer to me with the lead. “I was just looking,” I said and turned to leave.
“Lord Page... thank you. For what you did.”
I paused and looked back at him before I nodded and left.
What the hell do you even say to that? I didn't do it for him or any of the others. I did it for Luna... and I suppose Celestia and Skitter. My friends.
I didn't want to kill Tirek, but what choice did I have? I had to do something and it was the only thing I could think of and even that was so far odds that I wouldn't have bet on me.
I got so lucky, even ignoring my new dust busters.
Exiting the throneroom with Fern happily bouncing along next to me, I almost ran straight into Sunset Shimmer, “Oh... Sunset.”
“Page,” she said as she stopped before she let out a breath and stepped close, pressing her shoulder against mine, “I'm glad I was wrong.”
“Not as happy as I was,” I answered, “How did things go? Did you get out of the castle?”
Sunset pulled back and shook her head, “No, not before the wave hit. I had never felt anything like that. What happened exactly? They say you were hurt.”
I hesitated for a split second and glanced down at Fern. I wanted to keep things quiet and I wasn't sure I trusted Sunset. But she had been involved, she deserved to know, didn't she? She was going to be rewarded at the ceremony anyway.
I motioned back the hallway, “Come on and I'll tell you all about it.”
Moved through the castle as I told her about the fight step by step, answering her questions on the way. By the time we reached the end of the stairs of the Tower, reached the end of it. I nodded to the guards and pulled the door open, allowing her inside.
Sunset paused for a second before she moved past me and into the outer room as she looked around. She had never been there before from what I knew.
Following her inside, I untied Fern's leash and checked his bowls before I sighed, “There were consequences however,” I finished before I dropped the illusion and half spread my wings as Sunset looked over at me, freezing at the sight.
I didn't say anything, instead I just slowly refolded my wings again.
“...You... You're an Alicorn,” Sunset slowly managed to say, “An Alicorn stallion.”
“I am now,” I said as I sat down with a nod, “When I killed Tirek... something happened. Luna tried to explain it, but I'm not sure she knew either exactly how it happened. Maybe it was fulfilling some kind of destiny, maybe it was being at the center of a magical detonation that should have cut Canterlot Mountain in half. Maybe it was something completely different.”
“That's how you become an Alicorn!? You do something so stupidly suicidal that the universe just kinda has to make you one for sheer balls!?” Sunset exclaimed as she stared at me before she sighed and just kinda shrunk down on herself, “...Forget it. Celestia was right, I'm never going to be an Alicorn.”
I wasn't sure what to answer, instead I just frowned and shook my head, “There might still be a chance. How about the next stupidly powerful dangerous evil overlord shows up, you get him?”
She rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at me, “Thank you, but I'll just settle for being a unicorn, thank you very much,” she said before she sighed and shook her head, moving closer, “Spread your wings again?”
I raised an eyebrow at her but did as she said.
Sunset sat down and shook her head at the sight, “I'm seeing it but I can't believe it. So... when is the coronation?”
“It's not,” I said and folded my wings again, “I don't want it and I actually want to keep this quiet. I don't want the status and I certainly don't want the responsibilities.”
I had enough attention as it was, thank you very much.
Sunset frowned at me, “There are times I'm not sure if you are one of the brightest ponies I know or the dumbest.”
“Half a dozen of one, six of the other? Why pick one?”
Sighing, Sunset shook her head, “So... what is it like? Compared to being an Unicorn, I mean?”
“...Impossible to find a comfortable position to sleep in and feathers are ticklish.” I admitted, “Other than that, less than you would think.”
So about that confronting Tirek thing...
7416748 Which makes her actions similar to a worried powerful lover.
Oh Please, just go and ascend Sunset, I think she deserves to be an Alicorn, after all the things she has gone through she should have been made on in the second and third movie by now, and that magical shock wave should have ascent her into an Alicorn since she was such a powerful Unicorn at the time, heck have her find the spell book of Starswirls and have her cast that spell just like Twilight did and maybe then she will ascend.
7416805 Or she broke the cutiemark vault in the 'cutie remarking'?
7416812 Come again, what are you talking about?
7416814 Starlight Glimmer's town? or her attempting revenge by time travel?
7416821 So what about her, I'm not talking about Starlight I'm talking about SUNSET, heck I hate Starlight and wish Sunset had taken her place as Twilight's student instead, after all she is a much more loved character then starlight.
7416827
He's saying have Sunset ascend by releasing all those cutie marks Glimmer stole.
Stupid thy name is Page...
7416957 Or perhaps it was a reference to the spell that caused Twilight to ascend in the first place?
I wouldn't call Page stupid.
He takes calculated risks when others are too scared to act.
So I'm I have a question Hiver. If this story follows the other two in this series that means we must only have a handful of chapter left and then a sequel? Or are you just going to continue with this one story?
TL;DR What's your plan for this story? Is this one almost done with a sequel on the way?
---------------
Good chapter. I really enjoyed this one like I enjoyed all the others. Keep up the good work.
-BFBL
7417011 One part left tomorrow, then hiatus until sequel in the future.
quotespick.com/images/quotes/english/dr-seuss/dont_cry_because_its_over-384-75.jpg
7417083
so page goes outside and sneezes away his disguise by accident is what youre saying
that or whatever you have planned
God damn this is great. I only found it today read through all chapters today from about mid-day to now.
7417083 I hope the hiatus is shorter this time! I look forward to reading your story every day!
7417256 I'm still writing and posting every day, just not here.
7417083 Thas what I figured. Oh well I really am enjoying how you have set up these chapters. Roughly 1,000 words with daily updates. And they are(in my opinion) all quality updates as well.
7417260 Does that mean there is someplace else I can go to read your work?
7417275 Sure. I usually write over at Spacebattles. I have two major series other than this one right now and I'm starting a new one on Monday. The two major series would be https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/not-quite-shodan-st-si.286486/ and https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/that-first-step-si.303750/
We are reaching the end, if past fics are anything to go on. I don't want to say good bye but I wonder how this one will end?
Is their more to Page's Story after this? Please say there is another story in a few months!
7417895 I already have ideas for a sequel.
7417901 Ahhh bless you Hiv. I hate the wait, but it's worth it and more in the end.
I look forward to the finale, and the next chapter in Page's journey.
I love how Page treats being turned into an alicorn as more of an irritating inconvenience, rather than a phenomenally mystical and life-altering event.
7417901 I like this series :)
7417984
Well, to be fair, he's already gone through a phenomenally mystical and life-altering event just by going to Equestria. Being an Alicorn doesn't have romance it would otherwise, at least not yet. I'm sure if it were 20 years later he'd sing a different tune.
Though... you can say Cadance never really saw the romance of it either, considering how young she was when she ascended.
7417906
I think that's the first time that's been said in the history of the world...
... I'll go now.
7418882 hmmm yeah if that was all caps I would have to rethink what I said.
7416805 I submit she is but we won't know for sure unless she returns to Equestria.
7417984 Like Dawn Lightwing getting his cutie mark!
... you know, considering Cadance ascension in the comics and the number of times Twilight saved Equestria, Sunset may be spot on in there,
7951900
Wait, how did Cadence become an Alicorn?
As Jack Sparrow would say, "It's remarkable how often those two traits coincide."
Well...we don't have canon info on Celestia and Luna, but Cadance's ascension involved facing down an evil sorceress, and Twilight's involved screwing around with what was essentially soul altering magic, so....maybe?
7416805
yall forget that the last time somepony used that spell alone we got Discord.
8868329
something something magic beam something something something cosmic spectrum crystal.
8868329
Most probably by getting immensely lucky while doing something monumentally stupid ... something perhaps like foalsitting an insane world-destroying-class mutant prodigy freak of nature with severe OCD tendencies and somehow surviving one of the said charge's explosive temper tantrums.
9224252
Nope, there is a comic. She defeated an evil witch with the power of love or something.
9365297
I think it was something like, a witch with an amulet was sucking the love out of ponies, Cadence fought, defending her adoptive parents and village, cue epiphany and broken amulet with TOO MUCH LOVE, explosion, alicornification.
Well that's one good line
You need an alicorn crotch to hold the sheer weight of his balls
10479915
Tungsten balls aren't a joke. Only alicorn level hips can handle the weight bearing requirements.
love the thought that to become an alicorn you gotta get the universe to go "who the fuck does that youve got some balls on you here become fuck off powerful"
10603677
And Imperial guard crotches. Even the women.
Kick ass and get blown up my Magic to become a Alicorn. Check 👍
10479915
Not to mention, those balls are required to anchor him to the ground, considering the vacuum inside his cranium... xD
11334948
that huge melted crater wasn't from the magic, that was just from the sheer weight of his balls
11473624
Nonsense! Where do you think they keep the magic?