Welcome to the jungle

by Hiver

Chapter 71

Pushing the door open, I was hit by a sudden strike of nostalgia as the air filled with the scent of hot drinks and newly baked treats.

Quickly stepping into the warmth, allowing Iron Shine in behind me, I looked around. The place was emptier than last time I was here, but it also somehow looked bigger.

“Prince Page!” the light blue pegasus with pink mane exclaimed from behind the counter before she quickly rounded it to approach, “Welcome back to Canterlot!”

I smiled at her, “Thank you, Silver. It’s good to be back,” I said before I looked around, “Where is everypony, your place is usually slammed.”

She grinned and fluffed her wings, “Caught me between lunch and end of work rushes, your majesty.”

I shook my head, “Silver, it’s Page. We have known each other for ages.”

“Just tell it like I see it,” Silver said and flicked one ear, “You look princely.”

“...Thanks, I suppose,” I admitted before I looked around, “Is it me, or is this place bigger than I remember? Admittedly it has been a few years.”

Silver nodded and looked towards the left, “About… a year and a half ago I bought the store next door and expanded. I can actually mostly handle the entire rushes now.”

“That’s amazing, I’m so glad things are going so well.”

She raised an eyebrow at me, “And I’m sure it has nothing to do with you?”

I blinked at her, “Huh?”

“Page, you made this popular. See the mark on the sign above the door? I’m an official royal supplier. Princess Celestia and the castle import their teas through me!”

“Oh, cool. I thought I recognized it this morning.”

Silver shook her head, “Do you have any idea what that does in Canterlot?” she asked before she sighed, “Thank you.”

I shrugged, “You have good tea, it’s all I told ponies. If you didn’t, no level of good PR would have helped. That’s all it is. Your father would have been proud of everything you have done here.”

She sniffed softly but nodded with a smile, “I think so too,” she said before rubbing her fetlock across her eyes for a second before she looked at me again, “Can I get you a cup of tea?”

I smiled at her and nodded, “Yes please.”

As she quickly returned behind the counter and got herself busy, I picked a table and sat down, motioning for Iron Shine to join me.

“I always liked the scent of this place,” Iron Shine admitted as she settled down, “There is a place in Nocturnis, but it’s not anywhere near as big. A large stand actually.”

“It’s coming,” I said, “We don’t have as many ponies as Canterlot yet, but it’s coming in time.”

I hoped.

Iron Shine nodded and then looked towards the side as Silver approached. I looked over too before I blinked, “Silver, that’s way too much!”

She was carrying a large tray with not only tea, but about a ton of different treats. Buns, rolls, chocolate, even some bagels.

“Not at all,” she protested and set it down, sitting down by the table with us, “I have been looking for somepony to try these on. Most aren’t for sale yet.”

I smiled but didn’t argue with her, instead I took a piece of chocolate in my magic to nibble on. Hmm, blueberry.

“You as well, miss…”

“Iron Shine, Miss Silver Leaf,” Iron said with a nod, ``I'm Prince Pages guard for the day,” she said but slid a bagel over to herself.

The one you could see anyway, Amber was here somewhere. And knowing Skitter, she likely had another half dozen ‘lings following me around somewhere out of sight just to be sure.

Silver nodded and poured us each a cup of tea before filling one of herself as well, “Nice to meet you. How is Nocturnis? I read your letters, of course, but…”

I nodded, “It’s nice,” I said and sipped my tea, “I think so at least, but I’m naturally nocturnal and a thestral. We’re made for that kind of environment. I think you’d be better off asking somepony like Iron here.”

Silver turned to her, “Well, Miss Shine?”

Iron Shine nibbled at her bagel in thought, “It took a bit getting used to,” she said after a moment, “Being up at night and sleeping during the day. It’s a bit warm, but not too bad during the night. It can be tricky getting around if you don’t have wings though.”

I nodded, “Which is a fair point, our population is almost ten percent non-winged. Unicorns or earth ponies. And foals that can’t fly yet. We should put up more bridges.”

Iron smiled, “It’s not that bad as that, sir. No harder to get around than in Canterlot, really. It’s just that you can see where you’re going earlier, makes it feel worse than it is.”

I glanced at my tea, “...Not sure what to do about that one.”

“Just something to get used to, sir.”

But that was a very good point, we should do a survey along everypony in the village, see what they thought could be improved or changed. It was their village more than anypony else's. Not just what the leaders of the village thought.

Fluttershy did some of that already, but getting it down on paper would be a good idea. Suggestion box?

Have to be a way to optimize the bridge layout between popular destinations. Bet Sparks or Midnight would like that sort of planning project.

“...I wonder how chocolate handles train transport,” I wondered out loud, glancing down at the piece still floating in my magic, “Because I’d like this more often.”

Silver looked thoughtful, “...Maybe with a unicorn cooling it? Or if transported as beans?” she asked, “It is warm down south. Chocolate doesn't travel well. You can’t freeze it either.”

I sighed softly, “Well, likely for the best, would not be good for my weight.”

Comments

[drFraud]

I like these last chapters. Revisiting old friends and seeing how they lived for the past couple of years.

[SRY]

Silver looked thoughtful, “...Maybe with a unicorn cooling it? Or if transported as beans?” she asked, “It is warm down south. Chocolate doesn't travel well. You can’t freeze it either.”

Paging Mr. Hershey to the white courtesy phone.

[KKSlider]

Have to be a way to optimize the bridge layout between popular destinations. Bet Sparks or Midnight would like that sort of planning project.

"Hey Sparks, I need you to optimize the bridge connections in Nocturnis to cut down on travel time. So, you know, the fewest amount of connections to get from place to place."

"Mph! I love it when you talk Graph Theory to me!"

"Uh... what?"

[shadow wolf1573]

Nice

[Fishsticks]

11026083
Hey, they want chocolate, not vomit in the shape of chocolate.

[Bojack H]

"Have to be a way to optimize the bridge layout between popular destinations. Bet Sparks or Midnight would like that sort of planning"

careful you're liable to start a 500 year mathematics competition that leads to several new branches talking that way

https://www.britannica.com/science/Konigsberg-bridge-problem

[Asolem2]

Silver shook her head, “Do you have any idea what that does in Canterlot?” she asked before she sighed

A lot

The one you could see anyway, Amber was here somewhere. And knowing Skitter, she likely had another half dozen ‘lings following me around somewhere out of sight just to be sure.

Most likely yes... maybe more

[Black--Soul]

I love wholesome chapters
Sooo... Mare has her bussness in bloom. Give it come years and she wim in money and afford a househusband to care and raise the foals

[windy_prance]

Fluttershy did some of that already, but getting it down on paper would be a good idea. Suggestion box?

FEW WEEKS LATER...

Page: Wow! Look at all those suggestions! While more paperwork is a pain, its nice to see some meaningful feedba--

Flower Rain: Sir...only eight of them are actual suggestions.

Page: ...I'm confused. There's at least fifty papers here.

Flower Rain: The rest are from Angel Bunny demanding you "end your reign" and "allow the true ruler to take over"..

Page:

[windy_prance]

11026083

*pony smashing that courtesy phone into pieces*

Pony: How dare you! You want Mr. Hershey over I...Philly Wonka!? THE AUDACITY!

[Xblaster]

Great to see sliver again!
And revisiting old friends, good chapters so far.

[FoxyLove]

Page has done so much for Silver as his first friend here in Canterlot that it is no surprise that she is doing so well.

But I'm shocked that she didn't try to pass off a chocolate daffodil on him.

[Crimson Eon]

I'd imagine Page would be the one exporting cocoa beans.

Does Page even have the luxury of writing anymore? I'd hate for his cutie mark to be relegated to paperwork.

[The Great Scribbly One]

Yay! Good to see Silver Leaf again, I was a bit worried she might get left out.

Grammar jackboots:

your majesty

'your Highness' is the correct address for Page. 'Majesty' would apply to Luna and Celestia. That said, Silver Leaf could well not know that, but either way you need to capitalise the address.

Prince Pages guard

Prince Page's guard

Have to be a way

There has to be a way

[PaintedPony]

11026351
Well, I think Celestia wants a sequel…

[trufla]

The environment around the Nocturnis ought to support both cacao and coffee. Maybe Page needs to set that up as an agricultural project. With Earth Ponies on the project, that could be something to help close their budget deficit problems a bit.

[SRY]

11026243
I like reality in my fantasy horse-words.

So I picked the person responsible for shippable chocolate and if you want to get into tropical rations, high temp melting chocolate.

[WanderingPony]

11026419

Depending on the wildlife, you can end up with some really *ahem* fancy coffee. Wonder what the Equestrian equivalent of Kopi Luwak is?

[WanderingPony]

11026243

Hey, let's not badmouth Equestrian industry, even if one's named Hershey Highway and the other one Philly Wonka.

One got started in sugar transport and the other one's a fine Fillydelphia family of long-standing good repute. They ended up getting hitched back in the day and that's how the modern Equestrian candy industry got started- Highway's shipping network, industrialization and practicality combined with Philly's (don't call her Philodendron) creative and high-class recipes.

Come to think-if you needed some tips on getting cacao and the like moved, PHWH (puh-WEH, if you're going to say it right) would be the perfect go-to for advice.

[Bojack H]

11026663
look as long as I don't find Luna-Ompa's running his factory. There's enough of a tragedy going on in their homeland, he doesn't need to be profiteering off of it.

[trufla]

11026654
Good question, though it's a given that if they find a creature that fills that spot Page would likely call in Fluttershy to get a proper large-scale production going.

[Thor447]

11026654
No

[Enderstorm]

11026419
It should, but for some inexplicable reason Page hates coffee.

Tea lovers, I swear...

[Tenebris Lucifer]

11038386
you cant deny the truth of their statement.

[Fetch]

11026419
Once they can set up farms on the ground.
Cacao and coffee grow on trees, yes, but not very tall trees.

[The Spy of the Tiger]

Have to be a way to optimize the bridge layout between popular destinations. Bet Sparks or Midnight would like that sort of planning project.

I would wager that the best way to optimize footpath (hoofpath?) placement would be to observe the common flight paths among the winged population, and have ground paths closely follow those flight paths.

[SilverDiamond]

11106291
Won't really work if someone flies from one end to another. You need to actually plan the thing. Thicker bridges in center, where there is the most traffic, and thinner bridges for economy(wood/construction) at the edges. Even more, you might need to contsruct "artificial islands", in most difficult spots. Might become good places for benches and "air parks", or something.

[The Spy of the Tiger]

11186935
I wasn't saying they should put a footpath along every possible flight path. I was saying that observing flight patterns can provide really useful information which can influence the planning and design process.

[SilverDiamond]

11187187
And I'm not saying it's a bad idea. I'm simply saying that some specific routes might be "from end to end". You know, despite being on the edge, they actually get a lot of traffic. Be it shops that come later, that supply something really wanted... Like the problem here, they don't know how to transport chocolate, but they might in the future. Since middle grounds are built up, the shop goes onto an edge. And everyone flocks onto it, good luck tracing best bridge scheme for that.

[origami]

Silver looked thoughtful, “...Maybe with a unicorn cooling it? Or if transported as beans?” she asked, “It is warm down south. Chocolate doesn't travel well. You can’t freeze it either.”

Meanwhile, Amber stands nearby with a twitching eye

[goldielocksie]

Silver looked thoughtful, “...Maybe with a unicorn cooling it? Or if transported as beans?” she asked, “It is warm down south. Chocolate doesn't travel well. You can’t freeze it either.”

... they live in a jungle. where do cocoa plants grow? A JUNGLE

[Okie Brony]

11026654

Wonder what the Equestrian equivalent of Kopi Luwak is?

Sorry for replying to an old comment, but I'm surprised that no one has answered your question yet.

TKirin Beans

• MLP: FiM
• Comedy

Kirin coffee is the best there is. There is absolutely nothing suspicious about it.

• OC
• Kirins

Raugos · 1000 words  ·  146  3 · 1.3k views