I was so, so, so insanely glad that I managed to talk Midnight into taking the job and not just because she needed it.
Because even with Midnight doing the organizing and scheduling for the entire thing I was still stuck with a stack of paperwork taller than I was.
I know it was because I checked!
Okay, so some of them were just a thick pack of papers that needed a couple of signatures, but still.
“I swear, there wasn’t this much when I covered for you for a couple of weeks!” I complained to Celestia.
“Well, then there was mostly routine,” Celestia said with a smile, “This is a whole other matter.”
“That it is,” I said as we overlooked the hangar. Beneath ponies were very busy, loading cargo and equipment, “And I still can’t believe we’re this far along already.”
Two weeks.
Two weeks and everything is already set to be ready for takeoff in less than a week. Whomever said that bureaucracy moved slowly had never set Midnight Sparkle in charge of bulldozing through it.
For that, I’ll put up with the constant checklists.
“Are you sure of this, Page?” Celestia asked after a moment more.
“What do you mean?” I asked, looking up at her.
“What if you don’t find anything? Or worse;” she asked and shifted her wings as she looked down to me, “Page, the time when this entire thing started, it was a savage time. Before even Lunas and my birth. Tribe against Tribe, clan against clan.”
“Sounds a lot like where I’m from, well, sometimes anyway,” I said and shrugged my wings, “Don’t worry about it, Sunshine. Even if we don’t find what we’re looking for… well, we tried at least. And I feel like I have to do this.”
Celestia smiled slightly, “I almost wished I could come,” she admitted, “It’s been a long time since I did something like this.”
I raised my eyebrow at her, “Did they even have airships back then?”
“We barely had anything that qualified as ships of any sort,” Celestia admitted with a smile, “Not anything like today at least, definitely no airships. But to go on an expedition like this… it has been so long.”
“Well, who’s to tell you that you can’t come along, Sunshine,” I told her with a smile, “You’re a Princess after all.”
Celestia sighed softly and looked down at the airship for a long moment before she shook her head, “No… no. As tempting as it is, it wouldn’t be right of me. I can’t just leave my ponies like that. Especially when if anypony should go, it would be Luna and not me.”
“I asked her last night,” I said and shook my head, “She also wanted to go but couldn’t leave either. You two are too responsible for your own good.”
Celestia shook her head and gave my ear a small nuzzle, “And you would do differently?”
I sighed and then shook my head, “...No. No I wouldn’t. Which is why I'm doing everything I can not to put myself in that kind of position!”
She smiled at me gently, “Can’t avoid it forever, Page.”
“No, but I can try!” I said before I grinned at her for a second before I sighed softly and nodded, “And I know. I’m an alicorn, I can’t really stay away from responsibility, can I? Ponies look up to us even if we try to avoid it.”
Celestia shook her head again, “No Page,” she said and then looked down towards the bustling activity below by the ship, “But to me it looks like you’re already there. Nopony else is making you do this. You are doing this because you care about ponies, to defend thestrals and to find a way to keep them safe.”
Sighing softly, I put my hoof on the railing and flicked my ears, “...They need somepony to. I still don’t know if I’d ever go as far as to thank Discord for this,” I said and stretched my wings, “But he did reveal something very important. Something all of us had overlooked before now. Something nopony else can do.”
“I know what you mean,” Celestia admitted, “You think you have him figured out and then he goes and does something like this.”
“Chaos spirit is chaotic, news at eleven,” I grumbled and folded my wings again, “But I can give credit where credit is due. This time, he did a good thing… in a stupid way. He could just have told us.”
But that would have made ponies question where he got it from and that might have caused trouble for Fluttershy. Which from his point of view was completely unacceptable on every level.
Too bad she had declined to come, saying that she couldn’t be away for that long.
Celestia flicked one ear, looking thoughtful for a moment before she sighed and shrugged her wings, “Always difficult to tell with him,” she admitted before she looked at me and smirked, “...But I can’t imagine that my sister was unhappy with the final result. I can see why she’d like it.”
Clearing my throat, I flicked my ears, “She… uhm…”
“Can’t blame her there,” Celestia continued, smiling her polite smile as she turned back to look down towards the loading ship to keep anypony from guessing the line of conversation, “There is a exotic charm to your new look.”
I worked not to blush as I tried not to react too strongly for the same reason, “You… uhm… discuss that?”
“We are sisters.”
Oh dear.
The fact that Celestia is totally in love certainly adds to that fact
At this point, we should all just make bets at who Page is going to hook up with first: Celestia, Midnight, or Tempest.
Cadance is going to have her hands full.
"She also tells me how I need to get laid and to finally ask to court you like I've wanted to do for years now, and admit my love for you."
"WHAT!"
"Oh dear. Did I say that out loud?"
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Queen Chrysalis: "Objection! This List only included ponys! We need to add Skitter, me and Fluffelpuff!
Everyone loves Fluffelpuff ♡"
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No... You think...? ...
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Dude... There imortality gives em all time in the world... Not going to happen for the next two books. At least...
i.ibb.co/TgWdgJ6/a-new-chapter-appeared-along-with-shipping.png
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This IS a NITPICK but... Hooves? Not hands? X))
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*cadance trots by with her horn glowing, several magical hand shaped auras carrying various shiping lists and charts along with her she stops looks at the camera, looks at the hands* lyra taught it to me, its easier then the normal animate object spell....*she stated and continued on*
Discord: *pout* I'm sad that Fluttershy is not coming with! Biggest exploration done for Thestral kind...and she decides the value the opinion of her bratty bunny! For a bunny who wants to take over the world, Angel is sure petty over maintaining his current lifestyle....
Cadance: It can't be helped now. Besides I think our focus should be on Midnight anyway. If we can give her some semblance of happiness, Page might forgive you enough to NOT kill you on sight. We might also help Amber as well. She has been such a good Changeling lately that she deserves some progress as well.
Discord: What about Tempest?
Cadance: ...No...we're not putting any effort on HER.
Discord: You are still pissed off at her for turning you to stone and taking your magic during the invasion huh? Why? You don't see me holding that kind of grudge and I was in stone for centuries!
Cadance: I MISSED THE WEDDING! It's not easily forgiven. It was the thing that allowed me and Chrysalis to finally get along...Tempest should be content with the freedoms we allow her NOW! *Cadance breaks the table empathize her point*
Shining Armor: *sigh* I wish Page would take another mare already...
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This should say, "while Page is sipping tea" first. More funny.
“The tea is lovely, sister.”
“Yes, it’s a camomile, Raven was telling me about it, it really does spice things-“
“-Enough of that, Page and I banged on the ceiling last night.”
“That’s what that was! Lulu, he really had you going.”
“Verily. His passion in his thestral form is far more...savage. So much rug burn!”
“That also explains why you were stumbling all morning. Here I thought you were tired.”
“That I am as well, I wished to see how many rounds he could go.”
“...and?”
“A lady does not speak of such things.” Luna says before mouthing ‘six’
“...I am insanely jealous.
“...oh and that was just what we did. Sunset Shimmer had her own fun in between.”
“...I hate you.”
Discord always has a plan, the thing is most don't see it till it smacks you square in the face.
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Pretty sure it's easier to simply hold items in magic, rather than shape them as object and then manipulate THEM to hold an item AS a physical object.
Read Irrespective's latest noses chapter just before this one. It got me immediatly thinking of the thestrals from his Harem Noses story. That is the kind of batpony Page and crew need to find.
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I dont.... I hate flufflepuff and wish it wasn't invented
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Tempest is off somewhere looking sad and forlorn.
“Something wrong Miss?”
(Meanwhile in the Cave of Shipping.)
Cadence’s eyes go wide. “Something is happening. A presence I’ve not felt since....”
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Cadance: Wait...it is just indigestion from my bean burrito. Nevermind~!
Tempest:
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Lyra's handy helpers is fully autonomous and functions as a low level sentient magical construct give it basic instructions and away it goes
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Aww no you don’t!
I’m gonna get her shipped one way or the other!
Be it will Caramel, or Sunburst or...or...yesss. He’ll do nicely, nobody seems to be using him...
Nice chapter, god funny end of chapter too!
Keep it up!!
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Yes that would be amazing, too bad he has that book on hiatus....
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Should we be worried?
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Me wishing somebody would write this into an actual book...
I both do and do not wish to see a side story focusing on the things luna and celestia get up to when nobody is around due to this chapter. And the rest of you in here are not helping with my sanity. I'm a holy Christian boy who should not be reading of such dirty things.
Pffft ha ha. I'm sorry couldnt type that last bit with a straight face. I'm screwing with ya. My mind is lewd'er than a wore house and my foul language would make even a sailor blush.
With that out of the way 5 bucks on celestia referring to pages schlong and something that changed about it. Knowing this fandom he probable got a new knot to play with. Any other bets?
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Welcome to the club 👍
We in the comment section enjoy this kind of story details all the time, I even made in a sequel something like that up
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One bad thing about downloading a story is that there isn't a option to copy the responding comment section for eatch chapter as well.
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Love the comment section 👍