I went in for landing in the alley, double checking that the illusion was wrapped tightly around myself. It actually wasn't much of a disguise really. Altered my features slightly, hid my horn and changed my coat to be more of a darkish gray and my regular mark was replaced with a silvery ring. Same one I had when going on the 'secret' dates with Luna. Seemed fitting for a bat pony anyway. The rest was just minor cosmetic changes, like muzzle shape and such.
Check done, I stretched my wings for a second before I took a deep breath and folded them again before trotting out on the street, making sure my small satchel was in it's place.
I made my way down the cobblestone street at an easy trott, ignoring the looks I was getting. Or trying to at least.
Nopony was mobbing me, but it was a bit disconcerting all the same. Ponies were usually friendly creatures, but they didn't look at me like that. I had expected some uncertainty, they aren't used to bat ponies after all. At least not outside Luna's guard. But I got at least as many outright hostile looks as I got uncertain ones, but the most common one was surprise and then hurrying away.
That was... unsettling.
If it was always like this, I got why thestrals stayed hidden. Even if they aren't chased out of town, this kind of thing day in and day out...
I paused for a second and looked around before I crossed the street, waiting for a wagon to move past before I entered a bakery and approached the counter, "Hello," I said with a smile, doing my best not to show any fangs, "I'd like to order a set o-"
"You got any Bits?" the mare behind the counter interrupted me before I could finish. She was an earth pony with a goldenish coat and a darked brown mane.
I blinked at her in surprise, "Of course," I said and patted my satchel with a smile, "I'd like to order three cinnamon buns, please."
"Sure," she said and pulled three from the display and slid them into a paper bag, putting it on the counter, "That'll be six bits."
I dug the Bits from the satchel and put them on the counter. She took them and put them in the drawer before putting the bag on the counter for me to take as she stared at me.
Last I was here, she had been all smiles and chatting away. Even when I was an unknown unicorn, not an alicorn.
Taking the small bag, I slid it into my satchel and left the store, glancing back for a second by the door.
This was... bad. Not very scientific though, she was just one pony after all and there are people like that in pretty much any group. She likely wasn't used to bat ponies, that's all. Might just even been a bad day, who knows?
I really hope she was just having a bad day.
Taking a breath, I trotted down the street before searching up a small park I knew was there from before, or more specifically, the small park bench I knew was there. I had spent hours there in the past when writing or reading.
Finding it unoccupied, I jumped onto it and settled down to enjoy my cinnamon buns.
Or try to at least. It wasn't easy considering the looks I was drawing. A unicorn turned around and guided her foal back the way they came rather than walk past. That one hurt the most I think.
This was...
I never thought ponies could act like this. Especially since I was essentially just a pegasus, if different because of a curse thousands of years ago. Even then, bat ponies had not hunted ponies for blood for almost as long.
Was it ponies just being careful? It didn't feel like it. ...Did Changelings go through the same thing?
"Excuse me? Sir?"
I looked up to find a pair of solar guards approaching me, the now familiar double image of their armour illusion overlaid over them. In reality, the unicorn on the left had a blue coat while the pegasus on the right had more of a light pink.
"Yes?" I asked, putting my second bun down on the paper bag, "Can I help you, guardsman?"
The unicorn sighed slightly, "I'm going to need you to move along, we have gotten a report you are causing a public commotion."
I blinked at him, "Excuse me? I'm just having lunch. I'm not bothering anypony."
"Even so, I need you to move on, you are disturbing ponies."
I had expected better from a member of the guard. Any of the guards. Guardsman Silver Spear and Silent Cloud, and don't think I didn't recognize both of them, were likely to be having some rather unpleasant dreams tonight.
I took a slow deep breath, suppressing the sudden impulse of dropping the illusion and letting them know exactly what I was thinking about their actions.
I had to finish this experiment after all for it to be valid.
"Very well," I answered with a sigh, putting my remaining buns away and jumping off the bench to leave the park. When I'm done with lunch, I'm going to see if I can find a job for the day. They are always looking for ponies to carry cargo and things like that.
That didn't go as well.
Ain't bigotry a bitch Blank Page?
Unfortunately ponies do have a heady form of xenophobia. And in many other stories from other authors here have written about it. And while we would all love the world and society to be in sync with Peace&Harmony, Sadly it is not so. There may have to be some harsh royal orders to start the uphill battle to fight the fear and bigotry of threstals.
On today's episode of Undercover Boss, Prince Blank Page becomes the most hated minority in the entire kingdom!
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Why force it, you ask? Simply, because any day your exampled slavery exist, is another day where peoples suffer for nothing (and this is something Celestia would never accept) and this, outside being completly morally wrong and being proved really harmful to economy, is creating massive social unrest by corrupting social relations and by this is ticking timebomb. Remember that slavery is very profiteable for some and they will do everything to continue this, same for any other societal pathologies . Around some things you do not jump around, but simply you must hit desk with fist and shout "enough".
Also federal government of USA really tried in 19th century to slowly extinguish slavery by many methods only to be blocked by southern states defending their laws at time. Civil war was practically unavoidable, as simply slavery was whole source of wealth in South and they can not allow banning it, they still didn't recover from ban. Americans can blame for this decentralised state structure (Europeans managed to end slavery swiftly, unopposable central governments banned it and then started bloody hunting anyone practicing this buissness) and Founding Fathers that feared losing plantators to new United States and made constitution vague on this by purpose (also remember that USA was supposed to be agrarian WASP country in plans of Founding Fathers).
Oh shit.
I’d have dropped the illusion.
“P-Page?”
“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t stuff you two into that mailbox over there.”
These Silver Spear and Silent Cloud guards should be first ones to get punished to show everybody (especially rest of guards) that guards cannot actually break and bend law due to population pressure. They know, that what they do isn't right, yet they did it.
Not unexpected. But a proper test need to be set up later. The Guards need to be invided for questions. They behavior were unfitting for a Canterlot guard. Punishment without explaining is pointless.
For example:
Tell a child 'no' and move on. ( "no" what? They need context, ) A simpel explaination would have corrected there behavior. There most likely dont know how to react to this unknown reaction. Do Guard have radio or something? Otherwise they most likely have to 'guess' if they have to judge a unknown situation. When a police men is called a explained reason is given. Often ID's are given (from the calling citizen, that so here in germany) to make sure security services are not missused.
I expected a littel more from Page
He is usualy more capable with words. Hell... Im not the brightest star in the sky and are better on the spot
Still interessting to see him try. Guess he never learn of Canterlot and its reputation. Also are males not to valued? What the ratio again 1 stallion to 3-4 mares?
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Exacly. Kitchen duty or empty dungeon duty with filling out reports about how to act and follow laws and rules. Nightmares breach Lunas oath Page had to give to her.
Or do i mistake it for another story?
Constructiv punishment or no punishment at all. A foal can act more appropriate. Matter of fact, ask one. Literally mindblowing to see how simpel things can see when the angel to a problem is less complicated and not tainted with age.
Children are the future! Shape them and you own it.
Orphans, schooling of every child and 'boom' you own the way a nation is developing.
'Off the Mark' is a story i recommend. It go into details like that. The damage the Equestrian learning system create in the main show is shown and fixed.
Blank Page started things without plan or counsel of his mares.
Cant seem to connect to his past actions.
-Tirek defeat plan
-Hive invasion counter plan
-Yeti invasion stopped and putting the Stormking and the Ambassador in place ( or do i mix up storys? )
Exacly. That why proper testing need to be commenced !
Incorrect, no law has been broken and a good reason need to be given. They are
'S-O-L-A-R G-U-A-R-D-S'
Celestia has a ineffektiv training program or a pair of missbehaving guard. There isnt really a other option i see. That why Page should informed them to report to there supperior for there missbehavior and/or 'invited' them to a personal conversation as to not compromise the guards authority ouside a few wispered explainations given. Continue to eat that baked masterpiece like a boss ( because Blank Page tongue is a wip his enemys should fear by now )...
Case in point. Guard need to be corrected in behavior and Page should act like his witty self, not like a petty nobel of Canterlot.
Page in disguise: "Report after your shift to my personal Quarters and wait for me there. Your behavior is unfitting of Celestias guard."
Guard: "excuse me?!"
Page in disguise: "No guardsman, i shall inform my Wife and her sister how her guard were misbehaving today. Luna will be quite displeased but Celestia will be quite... Interessted in your representation of her laws and guidelines for SOLAR GUARDS.
Guard turned paler than fresh snow.
Page in disguise: "Guardsman Silver Spear and Silent Cloud you might continue on your patrol...".
Guardpony return stiff to there patrol.
( that my view of Blank Page, slayer of Tirek, guardian of Equestria. That why Chrysalis 'littel Predator' is a worth mate for Skitter. Or perhaps the current Queen ♡ )
Dont tell Twilight about it... I see a 3-5 hour lecture about 'valid test' a head... Followed by a checklist that Twilight constructed to aid Page in his social experiment. The Princess of Friendship will be quite interessted in the result...
Im hoping we get more on this
Thanks for the interesting chapter! I'm looking forward to the update!
I can't wait for Cellys reaction, once she hears about this.
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Yeah, I hope we see something like this from Hiver next chapter, I other wise feel like he's slacking somewhat.
Now don't get me wrong Hiver, but I get the feeling that yer tiphooving around the subject here in this chapter, just like one would in real life. Even if it is for a test.
Suggesting: Blank Page writes a thesis/small history book on the batponies, spreading the truth is but one way besides the use of laws, to begone with bigotry.
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oh ya slavery wasn't going to simply die out especially as the 2nd industrial revolution would have lead to even more horrendous work conditions (Imagine slavery existing with the horrendous factory conditions of the late 1800s, or the quite dangerous farming machinery of the same time) slavery might as an industry shrank but as a facet of life stayed legal had not abrupt change been wrought.
In this comparably much less serious story though Celestia has done much and seemingly little to help bat ponies given they're not hunted down these days but still live in hiding as she's content to let them gradually be accepted, something which page has no time for
I cant believe that your story has been featured with every single chapter you post. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE... Good chapter though.
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I really agree on that, a small history book would go a long way in long run even if your going to replace it with a bigger and newer one
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I also feel he is on his tiptoes. These chapters feel rushed and by the time we get to the good part it's over. What happened at getting a job? We might hear about it next chapter as a few throw away lines. That's it. We won't experience it with him [Page], we hear him complain or contemplate.
Some of his stories are good because of the small chapters; some slice of life stories need to keep the small scope and benefit from small chapters. This is shapping up into a drama adventure (even if he never actually gets anywhere physically) and we keep wanting to dig. There is no place to dig.
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"I heard that Blank Page has an eight pack. That Blank Page is shredded."
The guards behaviour can be corrected easily enough by calling them out for it at the next inspection and giving them a one week mandatory course about their oath and how they failed it.
The general population is more difficult. Seems like the batponies need a big positive PR campaign. Like page writing a few books with nice batpony protagonists.
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Once a story has been featured once, any new update will always appear in the bottom 3 featured slots. Those 3 progress along previously featured story updates and function as a separate queue from the others.
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I think Page is painting the two guards in a worse light than they (or at least Silver Spear) deserves.
If anything they sound like the poor police guy doing their job knowing the accuser is overreacting.
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They should say to accuser, that this thestral in park is doing nothing wrong and thus there isn't any reason for them to react in any way. Page has every right to feel angry about their reaction, as they simply harrassed innocent citizen due to false accussation, which is great corruption of any law force.
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The rights of the accused also should be taken into consideration, which they didn't do. They only cared about one side.
Harsh speciecism is harsh indeed. Come now Page, haven't you learn a single page from history books? People are resistant to change when it doesn't benefit them personally or in the short run.
Solar Guard are all getting some ethics training from this point on. Way to buck it up, you two.
Years ago I would have said this was an ethics violation, how the guard should be punished, etc. now I see the matter differently. He did the same thing I’ve seen actual cops do: chose the single individual over the mob to deal with. They aren’t there to protect you, they’re there to try to keep the peace, and will sacrifice you to do so.
There are 2 reactions towards the unknown. Fear and curiosity.
I’m surprised that nobody approached him to “interview“ him about his biology. More of a „that’s new, what’s going on“ then a „that’s different, maybe dangerous“ attitude that I’m surprised didn’t show up. (Usually it’s children that have this form of „curiously poking everything unknown with a stick“ attitude.)
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3 years old, and still funny…
I still,am very sad that Blank Page didn't actually like many in the show 'undercover cop'.
Because alone further rumors that Page is pulling it on the regular would Guardsponies have think 5 times about misbehaving:
-Blank Page
-Celestia
-Luna
-Twilight
-Midnight
Chapter 12 is why Blank Page is needed, by ending law enforcement bigotry and separation of pony tribes.