Chapter 50
Opening my eyes, I laid still. The light of the sunrise filtering in through the high windows to the bedroom as I resisted the urge to roll over and scream into my pillow.
Instead I rolled onto my stomach and looked to the side. For once I was the first one awake, Sunny and Sparks were still asleep, cuddled up together at one side of the bed.
They likely stayed up late last night while I was fighting an imagined griffon.
When leaving Nocturnis, I had almost imagined this trip being somewhat relaxing. I mean, mediating between Griffons and Yeti, sure, but the rest would just be time for us.
But no.
Griffons and Yeti, somehow helping Skitter contact another hive without it turning into a war/feeding frenzy and now this bucking duel nonsense. Then there was back home and having the entire population of Nocturnis looking to me for answers that didn’t exist.
Slipping out of bed so as not to wake anypony, I exited into the main room, closing the door behind me as I exited onto the balcony, putting my hoof against the thick stone railing as I looked towards the raising sun for a split second before quickly looking away.
How do you do it, Sunshine?
How do you keep it from overwhelming you? At least My Luna is somewhat defended from the pressure from being Nocturnal, but you face it all head on.
But you don’t bend. You don’t break. All that pressure, it just… wash over you like water against the base of a mountain.
I’m not going to be able to do it like that. It was wearing me down. I could tell.
And it was just a small town.
Looking down, I saw a squad of griffon guards fly past, heading towards the edge of the town towards the gates, spears held in their talons.
Change of the guard.
“Good morning, your majesty,” a voice said and I glanced back, spotting Flower Rain. She was carrying a small tray with fruits in her muzzle, baked goods and some smoked fish. And a cup of tea.
“Good morning, Flower,” I said, giving her a small smile, “Sleep well?”
She nodded and crossed over, settling the tray onto the wide stone railing, “I did, sir.”
“You didn’t need to bring me that,” I told her with a smile.
“It was just inside the door, I just carried it here,” she said with a smile of her own.
I nodded and picked a slice of apple with my magic, “Thank you,” I said and looked out over the city again.
After a few minutes, I looked to the side, finding Flower sitting and watching me. Her notepad was laid on the railing, her pen sitting on it.
“What?” I asked with a small smile.”
“...You look thoughtful,” Flower admitted, “It’s not really my place to ask, but I'm curious.”
I smiled and shook my head, taking a piece of smoked salmon, “Oh no, Flower. If it’s anypony’s place to ask, it’s yours. You’re my assistant. You kind of do need to know what I’m doing or thinking or it’d make your job impossible. If you’re curious, ask.”
“...What are you thinking about, sir?”
“Right now, that I have asked you to call me by name before,” I commented. Mmm, smoked fish.
Flower shifted a bit uncomfortably, “It feels wrong.”
“I’m not going to force you,” I said and sighed softly before sipping my tea, offering her the tray.
Flower hesitated but then took a slice of apple.
“As what I was thinking about,” I continued and flicked one ear, “Nocturnis and what we could do to attract business. The village is going well, but we can’t deny that we need a flow of bits to purchase the items we need to import what we need… and for our ponies to afford to do the same.”
Flower nodded, “Such as steel. And nice clothes.”
“Not a lot of mines in Nocturnis,” I agreed and stretched my wings for a second before sipping my tea again, “When we get back to Canterlot, I need to discuss the matter with Celestia and Luna, see if either of them has any ideas.
“What of Princess Twilight and Princess Midnights shield obelisk ideas?” Flower asked, scribbling a small note down. Likely to remind me to discuss it with Sunshine.
I nodded, “It would open up a lot of space for us,” I agreed, “Plenty of things dangerous that’s the size of a pony, but it will help a lot and we could set up normal walls against most of those. But we’ll need so many of them, they take time to make and then even more time to enchant and then they need to be transported into place. But it will be worth doing.”
Flower nodded slowly, “Like carving a railway tunnel through a mountain.”
“Same idea,” I agreed and sipped my tea again, “What time did the talks continue?”
“Noon.”
I nodded. I needed to go talk to Skitter. Before waking up I had gone looking for Changeling dreams. I found them towards the south and I was fairly sure I had a fix on the hive now. I would have to check on a map to be certain, but if I remembered my geography right, it put them close to the coast.
That was a bit odd, Changelings as a rule aren’t fans of salt water. It has a tendency to leave crystals behind in their leg holes which apparently itched and was tricky to get rid of.
Glancing towards the bedroom, I smiled to myself, “When they wake up, please let them know I have gone to the airship to talk to Skitter.”
Flower nodded, “As you like, your majesty.”
And we were back to that. Oh well. Foal steps, I guess.
“And please alert the guard that I want to go to the ship in ten minutes or so,” I said and picked another piece of salmon.
Flower got up and bowed briefly before she trotted back inside.
I could just have left, but the least I could do would be to give them at least a couple of minutes to prepare. Rude not to.
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10983804
(A continuation of my last Cadance post. I suppose it's been a parallel shipping story to yours, but less interesting.)
Cadance floats several meters in the air, laughing manically. The world around her burns. Screams fill the air.
Discord: What have you done?!
Cadance glares down at him.
Cadance: What I must.
Discord: This wasn't the way! You were supposed to defeat the empire, not join them!
Flames erupt around Cadance, her voice reverberating with raw power.
Cadance: I AM THE EMPIRE!
Discord: Why? Why have you turned your back on peace and light? Why have you chosen to shroud the world in darkness?! Did your rampant shipping not already satiate your hunger?
Cadance: It wasn't enough. It was never and could never be enough. I needed more. And so I awakened the greatest shipping threat known to ponykind. I unleashed it upon the masses to fill their minds with not a thought but love.
Discord: What did you- who did you unleash?
Cadance smirks and fades into the flames and an innocuous white-coated pegasus emerges. Their coiffed blue and white mane reflects the light of the fire in such a way that it too almost appears to be made of blue flames. They smile a sickly smile, one that sends chills down Discord's spine. An ember smolders in their eyes.
windy_prance: Me.
Your gonna turn your mane, tail and fur grey if you keep on worrying and laminating all your woes and stress Page.
Have some faith in Harmony and get laid to relax a bit. Perhaps some Skitter nookie? I'm sure she won't say no to that...
Poor Page. The life of imortal being is difficult...
I'm not the only one expecting this challenge to be trap where the Yetis promised something to the griffon in exchange for him offing/creating the opportunity to off Blank Page, am I? Because I'm totally expecting them to try something, he fails, and for Page, or someone close to him, to snap.
She has well over a thousand years of experience to do this, over a thousand years to learn, set it up and deal the deck as she sees fit.
You are comparing yourself to the wrong pony my guy.
10984903
Oh no, you're definitely not alone in that thought. Something is brewing, and it's been brewing so long now that it's gonna be big. Maybe not concentrated beam of sun to the face big, but still, big.
Well there is also the possibility of getting money in a less...legal way
There have to be plants that have hallucinogenic effects.
Of course, there can be with other effects and properties that could be use in medicine.
While Equestria may prefer healing with magic there are things a spell can't fix.Like some more complicated internal problems.
Also, why not export it to other countries, like to gryphons and zebras?
They don't have access and addiction to magic like ponies.They may want to buy plants like that.
They could also sell the exotic meat to gryphons at a very high price.
Maybe even bones as trophies and for other uses to both gryphons and zebras?
Nice
MEANWHILE IN CANTERLOT...
Grey Velvet: PRINCESS!
Celestia: Eeep! Um...you didn't see anything!
Grey Velvet:
Really? Because I think I just saw you trying to concentrate the sunbeam from the window to burn one of the paperwork piles to ashes..
Celestia: Well that pile in particular is the 5th attempt of those nobles to divert water rights from three different towns for a mining operation! I was going to reject it anyway!
Grey Velvet: Reject it PROPERLY. With a signature! NOT FIRE!
Celestia: *pout* Curse my assistant for being good at her job...
Grey Velvet: You're welcome Princess~! I'm the one of the only reasons half of the nobility are not barbecue!
Celestia: That's NOT something to be proud of!
10984847
....I think you're overestimating my powers but THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT!
OHMYGOSH!!
a 1000+word chapter!!!!
*Kevin Lee faints*
10985050
"
Celestia: "I wonder... I could always invite the griffon ambassador to a cookout with our nobles....
Grey Velvet: "NO!!
"
Put it in a way you like Page, from a story: How did Galadriel get to the point we see her in the books? She spent centuries as a courtier in Tirion and Doriath, yet more assisting Celeborn running the city of Harlond as a vassal in Lindon and later running Eregion with him until their daughter was born. Then after that she was a minor landowner in Lothlorien and got her big break when she was granted the fiefdom of Edhellond, from which she built a power base to eventually take over when the last King went missing at sea four thousand years later. By the time of the books she had ruled Lothlorien itself for another thousand years on top of that experience.
She didn't get as good as she is overnight, and Celestia certainly didn't either.
10984903
Definitely not, I'd not be surprised if this challenge might have something to do with that actually. Disgruntled griffon dignitary with a grudge 'accidentally' kills foreign noble in a duel? Oh Razorwing's head would end up on a stake for it, but it'd give plausible deniability to the yetis.
Grammar jackboot parade:
Unneeded capitalisation, it should read: At least my Luna is somewhat defended from the pressure from being nocturnal
Tense error: 'washes over you like water against the base of a mountain.'
There are plenty of dangerous things the size of a pony,
Plural error: apparently itched and were tricky to get rid of.
It probably doesn't, it's likely that she's just gotten really good at hiding her stress over the years
10985399
That, and I'm sure she's learned not to let it get to her. Yes, it puts some distance between her and "her little ponies", but you either do that or you go insane - and not the good kind, either.
Besides, you can try many styles of governing in a thousand years.