• Published 16th Jul 2021
  • 8,589 Views, 2,842 Comments

Welcome to the jungle - Hiver



Page has some problems. Some are large with larger teeth. Some have sharp claws. Some have wings. Most are ponies. Sometimes being an alicorn is simply not worth the perks of the job, no matter how nice.

  • ...
20
 2,842
 8,589

PreviousChapters Next
Chapter 56

“Seriously, Sunny,” I said as she checked the bandage around my barrel, “I’m fine. It aches a bit, but I’ll be fine.”

“You’re not fine,” Twilight said as she jumped onto the bed on the other side of me, “You have eight cuts, some quite deep. What more, his claws were covered in venom!”

I blinked at her, “Venom!?” as I felt my scratches start to feel like they were burning.

“What!?” Sunset exclaimed.

“I did the scan twice,” Twilight said and frowned, looking at me. Last time I saw her that pissed… had not been her, it had been Midnight. Her mane wasn’t moving, but it wasn’t far off.

“What kind of venom?” Sunset asked, her ears against her head as she swallowed.

“Nothing deadly,” Twilight admitted, “It’s a slight paralytic, it seems like he only intended to slow you down. Dull your reflexes and make it harder to move. Would have done exactly that to a pegasus or a unicorn. An earth pony wouldn’t be nearly as affected and Page’s an alicorn. It luckily didn’t do anything.”

Sunset looked exactly as pissed as Sparks at the moment.

I felt too tired to be pissed and laid down fully, resting my head between my hooves. I didn’t like having to do that. Even to an arsehole like that.

“He made it, right?” I asked after a moment.

Sparks nodded, “I heard the doctors said he’d live.”

I didn’t like her tone. I had never heard her talk like that before. Shifting, I put my wing across her and pulled her down with me, “Let it go, Sparks,” I told her, “It’s over.”

“He cheated,” she still grumbled, but she settled down, her side against mine.

“Didn’t help him,” Sunset said and laid down as well, keeping a hoof width between herself and my injured side, “Still got his tail kicked up between his ears.”

“Let it go,” I sighed softly, “I just want to put it behind us. I’ll be fine.”

“...You will,” Sparks said, “In a couple of years, even the scars will be gone.”

“Mmm,” I agreed, starting to drift off to sleep. Suddenly, I found myself in the dream realm and the ache from my side and flank disappeared.

I still felt tired though, but not in body. In spirit.

“Page.”

I smiled and looked up at Luna as she walked up next to me, looking down at me, “My Sky.”

“I see that you are victorious,” Luna said quietly, her wing settling across my back and resting her head against the top of mine.

“Yeah,” I answered quietly as I leaned against her.

I told her all of it.

By the end I was curled up next to her, my eyes closed and my head against the side of her neck, “I hate hurting ponies. Or griffons…” I said softly, “I even disliked what I did to Tirek. I like fighting, but that’s not the same thing.”

“No, My Page, it’s not,” Luna said gently and sighed against my mane, “But sometimes it is necessary.”

“But this… this wasn’t.”

Luna frowned, “It was necessary in the same way as when you defend yourself against somepony trying to conquer your lands. It’s not your fault, but somepony is going to get hurt, no matter what. All you can do is to try to make it so it’s not your ponies.”

I sighed and closed my eyes, “It’s not the same.”

“But it is. Would he have given up? Did you have any other choice?”

“I could have told him to buck off and just left for Equestria,” I said quietly, “It… would have hurt pony-griffon relations, but… bad enough to justify this?”

Luna shook her head, “Page, he will live. You said so yourself.”

“Without the use of his right foreleg. That joint is never going back to normal.”

“Sometimes… such can be the price of learning,” Luna said quietly, “At least this time, nopony else but him got hurt.”

“Yeah,” I agreed and sighed softly, “I still don’t like it.”

Luna sighed with me, “Nopony likes it.”

“Bet Sombra would have.”

That got a snort from her, “Very well, My Page,” she said with a small grin, “Nopony sane likes it. Don’t compare yourself to that evil pony.”

I’m just saying, I’m seeing some parallels.

Shaking my head, I stretched, “I… should wake up again,” I finally said, “You have things to do and I need to make sure Sparks and Sunny don’t do anything stupid.”

“Stupid?”

“They were upset,” I admitted, “No, not upset. Twilight was furious about the venom and-”

“Venom?” Luna asked, raising one eyebrow, “What venom?”

“The… venom his claws left in the scratches?”

“What scratches, you said you were unhurt!?” Luna exclaimed, her wings raising high as she glared at me.

I may not have told her exactly everything.

I shifted slightly, “Seriously, Luna, it’s nothing serious. Just some scratches on my side and flanks, they will barely even leave any scars.”

Luna looked at me for a long moment before she got up, “I’m going to talk to Sunset or Twilight,” she said and started to sift through dream portals.

I quickly jumped onto my hooves and trotted after her, “No, wait up, Seriously, I’m totally fine!”

Damn it! I had hoped not to worry her!

I moved around before her, raising my hoof against her chest to stop her as I looked up at her, "I'm sorry," I said quietly, "I just didn't want you to worry about things that couldn't be changed."

Luna paused and sighed softly, "Didn't you learn your lesson about that before?"

"I know, I know."

She shook her head and frowned down at me, "Show me."

I flicked one ear and then let my dream self match my physical one and I flinched slightly as lines of fire it felt like ran across my shoulder and a bit down my barrel and across my flank just about my cutiemark.

Luna looked at me for a long moment, one eyebrow raising, "Just some scratches?"

"They'll heal, none are very deep or hit anything important," I told her, "Both the doctor of the airship and Sparks says the same. Most are just skin deep."

Luna looked unhappy but nodded, "I just don't like seeing you hurt," she said as she pulled me close with her hooves and wings.

"I'm not a big fan of it either," I admitted, leaning against her as I banished the scratches. I’m going to need to deal with them when awake, I didn’t need to have them hurting in my sleep too.

PreviousChapters Next