Chapter 109
I looked at the ponies gathered in the room. All five now pure thestrals, no curses, no blood magic.
They were all looking at me in turn.
“So, that’s the current plan. Any thoughts or questions?”
Mood Beam raised her hoof, “Moving to the jungle?”
“Actually, moving to the jungle and building a new village there,” I clarified, “But we would need to build it ourselves. Which does mean staying in tents for the first while… and I don’t expect everypony to go at once, there are over two thousand thestrals in Equestria, we can’t have a camp that big. I expect the first expedition to be around five hundred ponies to start construction of buildings and defenses.”
“Defenses?” Cloud Flash as he moved to sit up on the couch.
I nodded, “Yeah. There are predators in the jungle. Most are easily handled by ponies with guard training. Besides, we’re just going to build at the edge of the jungle, not deep in where the larger ones are.”
Moon Beam looked thoughtful, “Do you really think this could work, Prince Page?”
I shifted my wings before I nodded, “I do. It… it won’t be easy, I know that much. But I think it’s what we need to do. As it is, in five hundred years…” I said before I looked between them, “There won’t be any thestrals anymore. The longer we wait, the harder it will be to stop and reverse.”
Moon Beam hesitated, “Maybe…” she said before she glanced down, “Maybe that wouldn’t be so bad. Then nopony would have to…”
“Moon Beam!” an older thestral said, her father, as he moved up to her, “I know things have been difficult,” Dark Flood said, “But that’s not the right thing to do. We have history now. A history we never knew of before!”
I nodded, “Thestrals aren’t cursed pegasi,” I said seriously, “Thestrals are the fourth pony tribe and I’m not going to allow us to go extinct if there is absolutely anything I can do about it. Thestrals going extinct would be like there being no more pegasi or no more unicorns or earth ponies. What would a world without pegasi be like?”
Moon Beam glanced down on her hooves, “I...I just don’t want anypony to grow up like we did.”
“Which is the entire goal of this,” I said and looked between all of them, meeting all of their eyes as I raised my wings and stood up, “To give us a real identity. A real community! Not just spread in small families across Equestria if at that! How many of you knew another thestral outside your families before this?”
No answer.
“Yeah,” I said and nodded seriously, “Divided. Drifting. Fading away. Afraid of being discovered, afraid of being driven away, afraid of losing friends and family. No more. That’s what I want to do, to build somewhere we can live in peace. A place to raise families and find friends without fear. A place where little colts and fillies can grow up without being afraid, being ashamed of who and what they are!”
I took half a step forward, spreading my wings slightly, “It’s going to be dangerous. It’s going to be risky. It’s going to be hard and exhausting and I guarantee each of you are going to go to bed and cry yourselves to sleep because you’re too exhausted to do anything else. You’re going to want to quit, you’re going to want to give up.”
I met Dark Flood’s eyes and then looked at his daughter before turning to each of them again, “But you’re not going to, are you? Because you know what we’re working for. We’re working for your foals, the ones that come after us. We’re working so nopony else has to grow up like you did.”
“Or…” I continued and sat back down, “Or we could do nothing,” I continued quieter, “We could just wait and let it continue. Let little colts and fillies grow up in fear. Afraid to be rejected. Wait for the only ones to remember thestrals to be the alicorns.”
“I know what I would choose,” I continued gently and sighed softly, “that’s why I’m doing this. Because I realized what is happening and because I could not stand by and watch it happen. But it’s up to each of you what you want to do. If you want to come help in the first group, that would be awesome. If you want to wait until we’re established, that’s fine too. If you want to stay here, that’s all up to you. But I know what I have to do… and if I have to head down there myself and start it on my own, then that is what I have to do.”
I shook my head and stood back up, giving them a small smile, “You don’t need to decide now. We’re not leaving tomorrow and I have to contact a lot of other ponies as well. Just let me know what you each decide,” I said and nodded to them before I headed out the door, the wooden surface closing behind me before I blinked at Sunset, “...been there long.”
“A while,” Sunset admitted softly and moved up to touch her horn to mine, “Long enough to hear your speech.”
I cringed slightly, “Too much?” I asked with a small frown, “I didn’t mean to Picard at them.”
Sunset shook her head, “Page, you have no idea how you sound when you get like that. I guarantee that every single pony in there is going with you.”
“I’m not as certain about that,” I said and gave her a small kiss, “I know it’s a big ask for anypony to drop everything and head down to build a village from nothing. I think we’re going to be struggling getting the five hundred needed even if we include hiring workers to assist.”
Sunset rolled her eyes, “Come on, Twi want to talk to you about the logistics of this entire thing. She, Midnight and Moondancer have been doing math and lists all morning.”
I eyed her dubiously, “...I’m not going to have to do math, am I? Because I have to draw the line somewhere. That’s why I hire smart ponies.”
Sunset grinned, “Just come on, wingboy, I promise it won’t hurt too badly.”
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I wonder if Page remembers that he's only part thestral for as long as Tempest is alive? Im curious to what their reaction would be when they find out that Page was originally part pegasus.
10516412
The deal was his body is changed for as long as hers is, no where was life stipulated anywhere in that particular deal with discord
Feeling really conflicted about Page right now. Used to quite like him, but this bat pony colony pipedream of his and how he's practically manipulating these ponies into signing up has really lowered my opinion of him. This whole thing is a terrible idea and he's trying to force it. He may just be asking them if they want to go, but it coming from him is likely to sway them quite a bit simply because he's an alicorn, and a bat pony one at that.
10516419
We won't know for sure til after Tempest. It is possible Discord will pay him a visit on that day. Offer a choice.
10516427
It reminds of a part in one of the other books when Page simply suggested leaving. Himself, mainly, and the others too. Celestia had a rather somber moment and basically said "they might not let us."
I hate how she says "my little pony" when addressing them; it sounds like what you say to a pet. Sad thing is it is not too far from the truth. They could walk... but it would usher in another dark age for ponykind. One led by nobleponies with Windigoes (or worse) lining up for a slice of Equestria. We don't need our president. (Who ever that may be) And England doesn't need her Queen but the ponies need their Princesses
sigh :(
10516428
Could be interesting to see that. Granted, by that time he'll have been part bat pony longer than he was part pegasus, so he probably wouldn't even give the thought of being part pegasus again any thought. Also, he seems to be trying to fully commit to being the prince of bat ponies and would probably see changing back as abandoning them. And then there would be the other ramifications of the bat pony prince turning into a pegasus alicorn again. Like he didn't like being part bat pony or something.
Im not sure why he has to remove himself and the bat pones so far south, that seems counter-productive to integration. It also aligns them with their bloody past- bad optics. Maybe start a new culture instead? Mountians have caves, as do old changing hives. Seems like he could set up in the Canterhorn as well
Sunset: So...you gonna wait until you see them all or have you decided on the lucky batpony?
Page: Hm? I don't follow.
Sunset: Well the major point of this whole village is to help with re-population.
Page: Yep.
Sunset: And you're going to be the leader correct? As a leader, you should lead by example!
Page: That's the proper thing to do of any leader.
Sunset: And how many consorts is an alicorn royalty allowed to have?
Page: If I recall from my days of having a Normal Life, the maximum is twelv---..........WAIT.
Sunset: Don't worry. It is ultimately your decision but we all been narrowing down the list for quite some time now. We are here to help if it gets overwhelming.
Page: Who is this "we"?!?! And what list?!?!
Sunset: The comment section.
Page: WHAT COMMENT SECTION?!
10516451
Page: "Sunset, assume the position!"
Sunset: "I-i meant another-"
Page: "Don't worry; we can keep trying after the first. One would surely be a thestral eventually, right?"
10516448
The reason for moving to the jungle is that it is the thestrals ancestral home, as well as having a climate better suited for them
10516448
I think it was covered a few chapters back.
Basically a Thestral breeding program to get the numbers back up.
If they'd had higher numbers to begin with (I think he wanted at least 10,000), they could have decursed and integrated, but because there is only two and a half thousand or so, they need to centralise numbers to enable a steady base population.
Or something like that, if I remember correctly.
10516485
Exactly. There's barely enough as is to provide a stable population.
Yea, this is where I take a break. I can see that this is a backlog and that you won't listen to the criticism.
I used to like Page and his quirkiness, but this is just dumb. People have already exhplained why, as have I. It will work out, because you wrote it like that and it's already taking me out of the story.
It would have been great to explore his and celestias relationship and have him write a smutty batpony novel to make them more accepted. But the whole segregation orgy town is a no for me.
I'll see what happens in a few weeks, but for now I'm out.
My respect for Hiver grows for not listening to the criticism. At least until after this is done. Long ago when corpse tree was the standard an author didn't receive feedback until weeks after it hit the shelves. Right or wrong i want to see the vision Hiver has for this, not someone else.
I put reading this story on hold until all the chapters are out expecting it to have 40 to 60 chapters like the previous ones and well and behold this one now has a 109 chapters keep up the good work
10516551
"Won't listen to the criticism"?
What criticism, specifically, do you think is being ignored that's upsetting you?
And I ask sincerely, because I actually want to know.
While I don’t like what page is planing and disagree with his reasoning, his internal reasoning is sound in the context of the story and the characters.
I’m looking forward to seeing how this plays out.
But it doesn’t stop me from hoping by that at some point Celestia gets a more active role and makes a move to stop this.
Gotta wonder if Cozy Glow is really a Thestral?
“Soon I will absorb all the Blood Magic that has been lifted and become the ultimate Thestral Queen!”
“You won’t get away with this you demented little Chucky doll.”
I-I don’t know what that is but, it’s too late!”
10516551
I am not exactly thrilled with the colony idea either (mostly the location over anything else) but in the end, this is Hiver's story. Any feedback adjustments will be done in the next installment rather than right now.
If you don't like the story, just simply stop reading it or take your break...but don't go whining about how Hiver doesn't value your opinion because he doesn't immediately jump up at your command to change something.
You may regret your words if there are too few males in your town Page(or become true savior of thestralkind) :P.
10516551
you know he batch writes his stories right? Like he might even have this one done by now since he's far past his usual 50-100 limit
10516685
That was the point. He "won't listen to criticism" because he can't. He's publishing things he's already written, and from any reasonable perspective it's too late to change anything.
So he'll have to do some math
10516412
Not half as bad as their reactions would be when they find out he's not a pony...
♪♫
One thing I don't get, if he wants the thestrals to be able to move down to the southern jungles to get their breeding program going ASAP, wouldn't it'd be just easier AND SAFER to hire a shitton of construction ponies to BUILD the village and its defenses to have it ready for moving in rather than force the thestrals to build the damned thing themselves???
10516412
Who says his body has to change at all after she passes?
10516563
Agreed! I love the fun I have in the comment section here but I'll be really disturbed if Hiver actually listens to most of my shipping nonsense and adds it to his canon!
Hehe.
You've never tried to find the air velocity of a unladen sallow, and then figure out what billy's height is.
10516622
Ohhh THAT would be fun. Not to mention it'll make Cozy's character motivations a lot better than in the canon. A filly raised to secretly harbor a hatred towards other pony tribes given vamp-pony powers by Page? Yes please!
10517065
Ooooh didn’t think of that
10516884
To be honest, I feel like the "Shipping Nonsense" you have in the Comments section would actually be a BRILLIANT side story to all this, provided you and Hiver worked together to keep the stories lined up.
You'd probably need Pinkie in there too, to spot Universal Constant Errors, and to ensure the Fourth Wall maintains SOME structural integrity.
*is a potted plant*
10517196
Nah it is just for laughs. If we made it legit, it'll feel like work and won't be fun at all on my end! Lol
10517316
Fair point.
Fun is only fun when you can enjoy it.
Regardless, the little shipping sidestory is great, so keep it up as long as you want.
Damn fine speech
Military and civi motivational, clever Page 
Looks like without Two Twilights the Thestral would be pretty screwed... Perhaps the Lord of Chaos had a plan after all getting Twilight/Midnight together...
Mastermind indeed...
Pretty sure that speech made Sunset wet for her stud... Time to grow the herd
I think that, all comments about “segregation” and “ghettos” aside, Page’s thestral settlement project is actually reasonably sound. Right now the thestrals, rather unlike any of the more common three tribes, don’t even really have any sort of collective identity or culture other than “we’re the ones hiding from everypony else because they hate and fear us” (which I doubt anyone would consider exactly healthy), and they’re unlikely to get a fair chance of figuring out who they as a people even are or want to be if they stay in Equestria. Okay, if there were more of them, then a slower and steadier approach towards changing the average pony’s opinion of them while leaving them in place might still work (Page is immortal now, so he’s got the time to personally see long-term plans through to fruition even if he may not have fully realized it just yet), but at only two to three thousand left time is growing kind of short and giving them some breathing space to themselves at a halfway reasonably safe distance from the rest of ponykind for a while is far from the worst idea I could think of.
Oh, sure, there’ll also be batponies who want to stay where there are, either because they’re genuinely comfortable there or just because they’d rather face the devils they know than the ones they don’t; anything else would put a fair bit of strain on the old disbelief suspenders. But that actually works in the plan’s favor to a certain extent because it means not quite everybat is going to need transportation, housing, and other essentials straight away...
10516840
luna kinda warned that he's gonna get used to it, tempest could live quite a long time and now I think he'd beg discord to keep him as he is
To give them the scope of it all, and to give it to them in a way that hits hard where it counts
But I wonder... what would Page think if he was given a look at Georg-verse thestrals
Made me think of a quote
"And lastly, your wings. You know what they're for. But not just to fly, son. I want you to soar!"
Blank Page:
"You lied to me Sunset. I can feel my brain melting from all the math!"
Sunset Shimmer:
... 
10516451
(No offense.)
OF CORSE!!! Of corse it would be you out of all maniacs to remember how many consorts a royal is legally allowed to have.