The Pieces Lie Where They Fell

by Evilhumour

Chapter Three: Page Turner

Chapter Three

Page Turner

With a soft chirp, Page Turner found herself waking up just before sunrise, just as she liked to.

Stretching out in her bed, she licked her lips as moved around in her small bedroom, moving over her dresser that had her mirror that reflected the image of her bedcoat and mane back at her. Sticking her tongue at herself, she fixed herself up a flash of her magic and saw she was perfect to go.

After fixing her light green mane as it was still a complete mess as her magic didn’t work on her mane for some reason. Rolling her eyes at that consistent little headache, she brushed her mane in place and took another look at herself to make sure she was good.

Smiling happily at her light yellow coat with her open book cutie mark on her flanks, she started to sing a happy tuneless song as she made her way out of her bedroom as she started to prepare for her morning chores, the first was leaving the dormitories and prepare breakfast for everyone.

She continued to sing as she entered the main kitchen, her magic pulling out all the food that her fellow librarians liked to eat in the morning as well as retrieving herself an apple to eat. Taking a bite, Page spat it out and grimaced as she saw that it was an Apple Clan apple. Those ponies had placed mass production over quality. Page had spoken with the Matron about switching to a better supplier, but Polished Apple was in charge of buying food and as she was an Apple, the Great Library got a discount on tasteless apples and other farm products.

Thankfully, Page had taken the time to start up a garden for the entire staff with a bit of unofficial sponsoring of the Blade family so they would have options.

Shaking back and forth as she worked the cutting boards and stove tops, she almost fell into a song that had been in her family for ages but paused as she heard chuckling behind her causing her to meep in surprise.

“Preparing breakfast for everypony again, Page Turner?” Matron Hush Tone clicked her beak in soft lecturing tone, leaning over to retrieve her cup of tea that Page had already prepared for everyone. “Dear child, it is supposed to be everypony’s responsibility to make their own meals, not for you to do every morning.”

Blushing, Page looked at her hooves before saying, “Is it so wrong that I like to be generous and kind?”

Ruffling her mane, Matron Hush Tone simply shook her as she took her seat at the head of the long table, groaning ever so slightly. “No my child, they are wonderful traits to have but some will think you are employing tactics of the Lady in a place that belongs to the Magi of Stars.”

With a huff, Page Turner rolled her eyes as she finished making the morning meals and moving her place at the long table. “Those who stare too deep in the inner workings of my morning meals get porridge stuck up their noses.”

The griffon slapped an aged wing across her beak, doing her best not to cackle this early in the day and wake up the entire staff. With tears running down her face, the old griffon let out a weary sigh before she stared fondly at a smirking Page Turner who was turning her porridge over with her spoon in her bowl. “Oh my dear, that was a priceless gem,” the Matron said as she tried to settle her laughter. “Go ahead and eat your breakfast and tend to your actual chores.”

“Yes Matron,” Page bobbed her head, spooning some food into her mouth, already going the mental list she had prepared last night.

---

With a swish of her tail as she made her way through the stacks and columns of books, scrolls, texts and other manner of record keeping with a soft whistle escaping her lips, putting all the misplaced titles into her cart as well as put those she had with her away. It was soothing in a way, putting away things in their proper place and knowing her place in the entire system.

Not many foundlings stayed with their facility as they went to answer the call of their cutie marks or talent emblems, but Page loved the simple live that the Great Library gave her.

She had not expected much in her life as it were, but things had a funny way of turning out. She never imagined that silly colt coming in and asking where the guides to running away were would have such an impact on her life and fill it with such wonder and love.

She felt like letting out a squee but there were senior librarians around her and she was in a library.

Still, she loved Night Blade and she knew he loved her and may all the Virtues turn their backs on those who said otherwise. She wasn’t after Night Blade due to his wealth and she had nothing that Night would want beyond herself.

And even if Night Blade ever proposed to her, she was almost positive that the Matron and the elders would give their blessings instead of demanding that she stay within the Great Library.

The thought of her love actually proposing to her made Page let out a squeak of joy, with her blushing as she got looks from her fellow librarians with Polished Apple huffing at her.

Letting out a snort at a filly who thought that just because she came from the wealthy family she was better than her, Page had to stifle her laughter at the sheer ridiculousness of it all. Polish was sent to the Great Library for a reason, most likely to stop being a public embarrassment to her family as opposed to the official reason of giving back to society. As if those ponies cared about anything but increasing their profit margins.

Tilting her ears, she could hear the ivory doors open up and the complaints of the students from the Academy at the Matron for taking so long to open the Great Library. Which meant she had to get ready for her special clients.

None of the librarians had liked this when she first proposed it, but the Matron had spoken of it in better light as a minor noble family of almost no note, the Belle family, had donated a sizeable sum of funds after their child had joined Night and her in their reading session. It then turned into her project and section at the Great Library as more foals had been dropped off by their parents to outdo the Belles, but had turned into actual enjoyment and support for the Great Library that became a task that the priests of the Lady endorsed.

There would be no true acknowledgement for her and what she had done to start all of this was quickly forgotten by most, but there were still foals that came to listen to her read tales of the Virtues and other fantastical stories, and that was enough for her.

Passing the cart off to a lesser librarian, one who taken on the call of attending the Great Library only as a job instead of as their life, she picked up one of the Scrolls of the Magi of Stars and saw it was the one about the Blue Sorceress and her army of star creatures. Of course it wasn’t a true Scroll of the Magi of Stars, those had been lost for ages and this was just a second hoof retelling of the days of wonder, but the foals loved it just the same.

Turning around the corner, her smile grew as there was already a herd of foals waiting for he, all beaming at her and saying, “Hello miss Page Turner.”

Soaking in all of their love, she sat down in her chair and greeted them before informing them of what she would be telling them what tale they would hearing today.

Hushing their cheers, Page Turner cleared her throat and began to tell the story.

‘To my dear liege and Her grand majesty, Celestia of the Sun, my companions and I have another tale to tell you. It all began…

---

Page’s eyes darted upwards as Night padded into the room atop of one of the shelves, which was against the rules and would annoy the cleaners to no end.

Still, her smile grew as he sat patiently up there while she finished reading to the foals.

“And that, my dear foals, is how the Magi of Stars and the Virtues defeated the vile sorceress and her star creature army,” Page said to the awe and wonder of the foals. “Tomorrow, I shall tell the tale of how the Virtues came to be as to pay proper homage to the Honour Festival. Now go to your parents, little ones.” She dismissed them all with a tilt of her hoof, her smile growing as all thanked her as Miss Page Turner.

So sweet and adorable.

Using her magic to put away the book, her coltfriend flew down and gave her a nuzzle across her face before deciding he wished to be daring and place a kiss on her cheek.

Giggling at how silly Night Blade was, she returned the kiss with one of her own before flashing him a love filled smile.

“Hello there, silly colt,” she cooed at him, nuzzling against his non-sword side and taking in the faint after smell of mangos. “What brings you here on this fine today?”

“Weeeelll...” Night Blade drawled out as he placed his wing over her, making her heart go pitter patter. He was leading her to the front doors of the library, daring to make an escape when he knew she had work tod- “I was thinking to check out this lovely treasure called Page Turner for the day, do you think I could manage this or will others need to lean on this priceless piece of work?”

She had to slam her hoof over her mouth to stop herself from laughing her head off, her face red with what Night just said. She swatted her tail at his side, doing her best not to break down in laughter. Straightening her neck and putting her best serious face on, she tapped her chin going hmm. “I will need to check with Matron Hush Tone about this, dear sir,” Page said as she turned her head to look at the Matron, who was shaking her head at them as she tried to remain serious but there was a smile on her face. “Excuse me, Matron Tone, but-”

“Go you two kids,” the griffon cut her off, raising her wing at them with her clicking her beak in laughter. “Enjoy yourselves today and tomorrow,” she dismissed her before looking at Night Blade. “You will be coming by to pick her up for the festival tomorrow, my lord?”

“Of course,” Night Blade said nodding his head before facing Page Turner, his wing held out. “After you, my lady.”

With a chuckle leaving her mouth, she leaned to give him another kiss. “Of course, my love.”

With a sigh of contentment as he led her down the same steps where she had been left as a foal, walking down the street with a content smile on their face.

Breathing in the crisp air, Page started to scrunch her nose up as a rather powerful sneeze grew. Doing her best to hide her issue as they started to walk up the West Road, her eyes flicked to the changeling detector lights that were being installed across the Road. They would undo any changeling magic with a magical flare as an alert. With how many ponies were around on a normal day and how little changeling magic remained beyond shapeshifting, any action by a changeling would be noticed immediately and no changeling would dare attract the attention of the ponies, especially not on Honour Day.

As they approached the plaza with the stalls either built or crews working on finishing them, she could not hold it back anymore.

She stopped where she was and, with Night looking at her, she reared her head back and let out a squeak of a sneeze.

Rubbing her snout, Page saw that Night was doing his best not to laugh but failing horribly. Swatting at him as her coltfriend started to snicker at her, Page’s eyes darted around the plaza with statues of the Virtues around a wide fountain before her nose started to smell something good.

“For laughing at me,” she said in her best offended voice, tilting her nose up. “You must retrieve me some food, please.”

Rolling his eyes at her and darting in to sneak another kiss, Night was feeling really affectionate today, before bowing slightly at her. “As you wish; extra spicy of whatever I can find?”

“Of course,” Page said with a smile on her face and her tail swishing back and forth. After spending so much time with Night over the years, she had grown to love spicy stuff and gained a very high tolerance.

Ponies tended to freak out when she ate several jalapenos without so much batting an eye...

With smile on his face, Night bobbed his head and turned to get them food, and would probably begin his inspection of the Honour Festival once he got back.

With a sigh escaping her lips as she watched her stallion walk away, her eyes lingering on his backside a bit longer then supposedly proper, she looked at the statues of the Virtues of Equestria, the former heroes that died with the Goddess. She knew each of them and their stories due to working in the Great Library.

Trotting around the fountain, she looked up at each of them; the Stallion of Dedication, the Lady, the Wise Oracle, the Warrior, the Stern Warden and the Magi of Stars.

She wondered how they really were when they were alive; there was such few actual stories about them and her sources-

“LOOK OUT!” a voice shouted before a force crashed into her, knocking her to the side. Squeaking in surprise, Page reached out for her magic when a loud crash startled her and stole her concentration away.

Looking to the side, she could see the remains of crashed construction material where she had been standing before, which could have either killed her or severely injured her to the point she had to go to the hospital.

Looking up at her saviour, Page saw he was a young griffon with a sleet grey plumage and reddish gold coat, his eyes of two different colours, blue and gold. He looked over her quickly, no doubt making sure she was okay.

“You good miss?” he asked with an odd twist to his words, offering a talon to her. She took it and her nose wrinkled as she smelt alcohol on his breath.

“Yeah,” she said, her heart still racing as she was pulled up right. “Thank you.”

“No problem, miss,” he bobbed his head a bit too forwards, his hot breath washing over her face. “It’s a good thing I was watching what Diamond Back was doing, or not doing or this could have got a lot worse.” He glared briefly at a griffon being chewed by an unicorn flocked by other crew workers before smiling at her. “Really glad to see you are okay, miss,” he said, slapping her shoulder lightly.

“I’m fine,” she stressed her words, forcing a smile on her face and went into auto polite mode. “Really, I’m alright and thank you for saving me, mister...”

“Wind Breaker,” he said, telling her he was a Hatchery griffon. His beak was clicking slightly as his tongue lapped the sides in quick darts, so he couldn’t be drunk...

Page began to relax, and smile for real. Holding out her hoof, she started to say, “I’m-”

“PAGE TURNER!” Night shouted as he flew over to the, landing between her and Wind Breaker. “What happened‽” he growled at the griffon, leaning to pull out his sword.

“I saved her, buddy,” Wind Breaker said in a stressed tone, puffing out his chest out. “That idiot over there,” he thumbed towards the other griffon. “Wasn’t watching what he was doing and almost dropped a full ton of shit on her.”

“Is this true?” Night looked at her, his face calming for a moment. She nodded her head in agreement, which caused Night to relax for a second before frowning. No doubt Night smelt the alcohol on Wind Breaker and as the pony in charge of what happened in the festival, he was also responsible for all legal issues including lawsuits. Which meant Page knew exactly what Night was about to do was out of kindness.

“I thank you then, good sir and both he and you are fired for negligence and improper conduct,” Night said, bowing his head to show his gratitude.

“WHAT?!” Wind Breaker shouted, eyes almost bulging out of his head. “I just saved her from being hurt, you ass-”

“And I thank you for that,” Night Blade hissed, clearly angered by how stupid this griffon was being. “And if you do not leave now, I will have security remove you from the premises.”

Wind Breaker looked like he was about to say something before throwing his arms in the air and storming away.

Night let out a sigh, before looking at her. “Sorry about that Page; I have to go get you another extra spicy eggplant kebob in curry sauce.”

“It’s okay,” Page nuzzled into his side. “Not that hungry anymore.”

“Heh, that would be a first,” Night said in a teasing tone. “Come, there is something I want to show you.”

With her eyes darting back to the griffon that had saved her, Page held back a sigh and followed her coltfriend into maze of stalls and vendors.

Comments

[Copper Springs]

Yay! New chapter!! And a bit more mythology!
Now I know Twilight is the Magi of Stars. I'm pretty sure Fluttershy is the Lady, but I don't know about the others. The Blue Sorceress has got to be Trixie. I'm loving this story so far! All of the characters are interesting and I can't wait to see how they interact further!

[Evilhumour]

7829413
You are correct about Twilight but wrong about Fluttershy.

Fun fact: I was going to call her the Silent Sorceresses but Anon and I both agreed that it would break the suspension of disbelief.

And I am working on the next chapter, but before I go on: any idea to which elements that these three are going to get?

[Copper Springs]

7830559
Hmmm. I'm not sure. I want to say page turner will be Magic or Kindness. But I'm not sure on the other two. Given how Xvital seems to be skilled at telling half truths I'd say probably not honesty.
I thought Fluttershy was the Lady cause it seemed liked they associated kindness with the Lady. If not Fluttershy I'd guess Rarity.

[CrystalWaters]

Since I'd wager most people who read this story try and figure out which of the Virtues are which pony I thought I'd toss my hat in the ring and have a guess, skipping the Magi of Stars since we know that was Twilight.

Stallion of Dedication = Rainbow Dash (for their loyalty, but it could be Applejack for their relationship with farm and family. Interesting that they'd forgotten her gender.)
The Lady = Rarity (naturally)
Wise Oracle = Pinkie Pie (for their Pinkie Sense and occasional habit of being a voice of wisdom/reason)
Warrior = Fluttershy (depending on how strongly her encounter with the dragon was remembered/emphasised, but possibly Applejack as she tended to get into the action along with Rainbow, particularly during the changeling invasion)
Stern Warden = Applejack (For her management of the farm and occasional role of team-mother, plus taking care of Applebloom, but possibly Fluttershy if her care of animals was remembered and the shyness misrepresented as stoicism, plus her chastising of the dragon.)

I'm really looking forward to reading more of this intriguing world and finding out how my guesses went.

[Evilhumour]

9406004

Thank you and good guesses.