Chapter 31
I felt a lot better after getting almost a full day of sleep.
The sun was just about setting at the horizon and the changelings were all gathered in one part of the castle. Everypony else in the rest of it, most of the royal guard had fucked off where they came from and the rest had set up camp next to the castle, fires lighting up their campsite.
Absolutely none of the above was my problem right now.
Instead, I was on the hunt. I didn't often get drunk, but tonight seemed like an excellent night to make a point to do so. Because last night had been a bitch and a half.
However, that posed a problem.
I couldn't just pop into Ponyville to buy some. For one thing, it was closed. For the other, I would need to disguise myself or ponies would be running around in fear.
Also, I had no bits.
Midnight being Midnight, I didn't exactly expect a big stash in the castle, but there had to be some around here somewhere.
If nothing else, she was friends with Applejack.
There had to be cider or something like it somewhere around here.
So I moved through the castle on silent hooves and wings. The kitchen had been a bust(well, they had mango, so not completely), and I had moved on from there.
...Of course I could just ask somepony, but where was the fun in that.
I spotted a glimmer of light through a slightly open door and peered inside only to see Shining Armor standing and looking out the window towards the guard camp, the room lit mostly by the firelight outside.
I hesitated for a second before I deliberately pulled the magic from my hooves to cause hoofsteps as I pushed the root open, "Sorry, I saw light," I said as Shining Armor startled, "Am I disturbing you?"
Shining shook his head, "No, it's fine," he said and turned back to the window.
Crossing the room, I stood next to him, looking out at the camp, "Miss it?" I asked after a moment.
"The guard?" he asked and at my nod he shrugged, "Sometimes," he admitted, "I'm still technically in the guard and I am in charge of the crystal guard."
"But it's not the same."
"It's not the same," he agreed before he sighed, "...Sorry about what I said before, I know now what you were trying to do."
"Don't worry about it. Was actually pretty helpful," I said with a small shrug, "And I know you don't like changelings."
He snorted and flicked his ears, "You can say that. I'm still not happy about any of this but... at least nopony got hurt."
"Sometimes that's the best we can hope for."
He made a small sound of agreement.
"So what are you doing here?" I asked, "I would have thought you'd be spending time with your parents and Midnight?"
Shining smiled slightly, "Our parents are asleep and Cadance banished me while she talked to my sister."
I raised an eyebrow, "Banished?"
"Apparently it was not for my ears," he said and shrugged, "So what are you up to?"
"Looking for something to get drunk with," I admitted, "Yesterday was that sort of.. oh, buck, it was still earlier today."
That got a grin, "I'm with you there," before he shook his head, "Not sure it's a good idea though, we still have a bunch of changelings."
"Oh, it's definitely not. Wanna join?"
Shining laughed and nodded, "If I thought Twily had anything home, I'd be way ahead of you already. Check the kitchen?"
"Yeah, most I found was a small bottle of cooking wine," I admitted, "Any plans now?"
"Going to tour the guard camp I think," he said and smirked, "I may not be an active guard, but I still have my rank and can't have them get too comfortable. Wanna come?"
I considered it for a second before I shook my head, "I think I'll take a flight, stretch my wings a bit. Some fresh air would be nice right about now."
######
I rested on my wings before slowly banking around, looking down towards Fluttershy's cottage. The windows still shone through with light, somepony down there was still awake.
Banking around again, I considered things for a moment before mentaly shrugging. As good of a time as possible.
Silently coming in for landing, my hooves touched ground at the edge of Fluttershy's garden before I walked over to the door.
I listened hard. No voices so no company over. Fairly certain it was safe, I raised my hoof and knocked on the door.
There were no sound for a second inside before I heard quiet hoofsteps approaching the door before it opened a small crack to reveal a yellow coat and a bit of pink mane, "P-Prince Page?"
"Lady Fluttershy," I said, giving her a small bow, "My apologies for disrupting you this late, but there is something I need to talk to you about. Would you have a moment?"
She was silent for a moment before she nodded, "...O-okay..." she said and backed away, opening the door, "Come on. C-could I offer a cup of tea?"
"That would be very nice, thank you," I admitted with a smile as I entered.
A white bunny jumped up to sit before me, looking up at me before looking back at Fluttershy, making a clicking sound.
Fluttershy went beet red from the tips of her ears, "Angel Bunny!" she gasped and scooped him up before rushing to the kitchen.
I blinked after them in slight confusion and then gave the door a small kick with my hoof, causing it to swing closed behind me.
Then I looked around. Fluttershy's cottage was fairly small, all seemingly centered around the living room with a couch, a fireplace where a small fire crackled away and a few bookshelves. the room lit up by the fire and candles. And a crapload of animals.
A skunk peered at me from a box at the other side of the room and I lifted my hoof to avoid stepping on a family of mice crossing the room.
I knew she liked animals, but I knew she didn't keep as many in Nocturnis. Was it for company or something else. The Fluttershy I knew wasn't exactly a social butterfly, but I did know she was friendly with a lot of ponies in Nocturnis.
Moving over to the couch, I carefully checked that I wouldn't sit on anything before I jumped onto it and settled down to wait.
It didn't take long before Fluttershy returned, balancing a tray in one wing. Like that first time I saw it, I saw her true self through her illusion almost like double vision. I saw her fluffy ears, cute fangs and bat wings. But I also saw the pegasus everypony thought she was.
She set the tray on the table, glancing at me nervously as she poured me a cup before offering it.
"Thank you," I said and took it by hoof. It was impolite to take food by magic if offered by hoof. Part of the things Sunshines lessons have taught me, "Again, sorry for bothering you this late," I said.
"I-it's alright."
Seeing her this anxious, this... shy... once more...
It tore my heart out. I knew she could be much more, feel much better about herself and the ponies around her. She deserved so much more than to constantly be worried and afraid.
I took in the scent of the green tea to give her a second to collect herself before I spoke, "I'm sure Midnight, that is to say, your Twilight, has told you about Nocturnis?" I asked and looked at her.
Fluttershy nodded and hid slightly behind her mane, "It sounds...nice."
I nodded, "I can't make anything like it here," I said with a small sigh, "But Princess Luna has expressed an interest in doing what she can for any bat ponies in Equestria. I found all bats with the help of dream magic, but if I teach her how to find thestrals..."
Fluttershy went very, very still. If I couldn't hear her heart thumping hard, I would have sworn she had turned into a statue.
I didn't say anything, I just sipped my tea and looked towards the fireplace. It took several long moments before her ears slowly drooped slightly and she looked down at her cup of tea.
"...It would help a lot of ponies..." she said and I could barely make it out, she was so quiet.
"It would," I confirmed gently, "But I wanted to ask you what you wanted me to do. You deserve better than to just have your secret yanked out into the open. If you tell me not to teach her, I won't. But if I do... she will find you."
Fluttershy took a slow breath before she looked at me and for a split second, I saw who she was. Who she could be. The beautiful and strong thestral that stood in my throne room, facing down half a dozen ponies about the best way to expand the village because doing it in that tree would disrupt a family of monkeys.
The pony that I had not heard a stutter from in over a year. The pony that no longer hid behind her mane.
"I-I want you to do it," she said quietly but in the firmest voice I heard from her here, "I... there are colts and fillies that..."
She broke off and looked down at her tea again, "...Don't want them to..."
"Didn't know about any other bats than your mother until I arrived, did you?" I asked gently.
She shook her head and swallowed, "Twilight told me. So many. I... I have my friends. I have my home. Many... many don't even have that," she said, her voice growing more steady as she spoke before she met my eyes for the first time and her illusion flashed away, leaving her fully in her real form, "And I won't be the pony that say they can't have better!"
Fluttershy was a good pony.
A good strong pony with strong ethics and morals and I had taken advantage of all of that several times to get Nocturnis built. And here I was doing it again. Except this time I would leave and drop even more onto her shoulders.
Fluttershy was a good pony.
I was not.
I nodded and put my half finished cup down on the table, "I will teach her before I leave," I said and then looked at her, "Maybe tell your friends before that. Midnight will be with you the entire way, know that."
Fluttershy visibly swallowed, her eyes shining in sudden fear but she still nodded firmly.
I gave her a small bow, "Good Night, Lady Fluttershy," I said before I turned to leave, feeling like a monster.
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Nice
Logically I know that Cadence is most likely talking to Midnight about Tempest, but I still yearn for the Twilight sandwich
The road to hell is paved with good intentions....
Beware the beautiful demon that speaks kind words...
Another great chapter. Love you and the amazing world you have built. Especially the bugs, we need more bugs.
Conisder the following:
Page is, as alicorn of stories, a great liar.
Luna is, by virtue if several hundred years of existance, great at keeping secrets.
If Page returns home, and 'canon' Luna announces that thestrals are real, she could very easily remark that Fluttershy is NOT a thestral, to keep her cover. In fact, the smart move would likely be not announcing any blatantly, but coaching them in dreams until each thestral is ready to openly admit they are one.
If Flutters never saw another thestral, it's likely thestral illusions can fool other thestrals. So Fluttershy could take her secret to the grave, with her friends supporting her.
What a quote...
ya know, the whole the actual element of friggin KINDNESS is a thestrall should have made acceptance easy
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But the point of the whole thing is that bat ponies(including Fluttershy) no longer have to hide out of fear...
Almost 2000 words
Awesome
Seriously if Flutterbat manages to lead the Thestral than she deserves Alicorn status!
why does Page always beat himself up for doing the right thing? while convincing himself he's some kind of monster for caring about the greater good?
asking for consent and laying out facts is Not emotional manipulation. if it was then it would be literally impossible to form any kind of non transactional relationship without "emotional manipulation"
he needs to accept that ponies and other creatures and not logic machines they nor are they driven purely by emotional responses. a good argument for a just cause uses both and it is not wrong to do so.
Page paradoxically suffers from an extreme dirth of self confidence while possessing an abundance of power and skill. Specifically, this is the kind of self view and self sabatouging thought pattern I'd expect from a survivor of narcissistic abuse.
And now we know why Page needs Luna, because she'd be biting his ear for this one. Convincing himself that asking for consent before teaching something that will blow her secret is evil. Good grief, if I could I'd reach through the screen and twist his ear myself.
Thanks for chapter!!
Sometimes one has to give a bit of tough love because Flutters way of living in fear is really not healthy…
Was it a bit manipulative? Maybe but it was better than just springing it on her all of a sudden!
Then again he could had said that he would ask Luna to keep the secret of any thestral not willing to reveal themselves immediately.
Oh well necessary evil and all that…
Have a good day!!
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TBF at the level he's stumbled into you do have advisors and people to go ask these questions for you. An ambassidor is normally going to have a mix of local and political advisors to figure out how to navagate policy and another country's customs as well as training and education to manage it. Page has been getting lessons but he kind of stumbled to the top without the lifetime of education that one in the sort of equivalent age in the real world would have recieved before taking part in government
in Pagequestria he has that network to fall back on but now he's got midnight who's not exactly reliable atm, and not much else except the ponies that he knows but don't know him and the ones he can approach, which is only a handful like fluttershy and those in the government that can be trusted like the princesses or some of their staff
Same energy:
Fluttershy:
You're lucky he doesn't understand you. "Finally she's getting some. What are your hourly rates?"...REALLY?!
Angel Bunny:
*gibberish*
Fluttershy:
NO. You don't need to clear out the house of the animals for my privacy! He's just a guest...NOTHING MORE.
Angel Bunny:
*more gibberi--
Fluttershy:
Don't you DARE finish that sentence with the word "breeder". You stay here in the kitchen and not another word from you!
Angel Bunny:
*pout*
Kinda curious since this is meant to be canon world, is zephyr a bat?
...talk to Celestia.
She's been doing the same thing, but for centuries
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Zephyr has never been mentioned in this series to my recollection.
However, as the curse is still in effect, there's a good chance that he is a full pegasus.
You have done well, lord page. Some things must be done no matter the cost. Soon you will no longer feel guilt for doing what must be done. Then your journey…..will be complete
😈
One way or another
A wonderful depiction of the burdens of Page's position.
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On the contrary, I think his self-awareness and unwillingness to ascribe himself the role of 'good guy' is why he's the right person for the job... And probably why Twilight made such a mess of ruling in canon. It serves to prevent a descent down the slippery slope of greater goods and narcissism. Plus a good ruler does need to be harsh sometimes, as Lord Vetinari put it:
“You see, the only thing the good people are good at is overthrowing the bad people. And you're good at that, I'll grant you. But the trouble is it's the only thing you're good at. One day it's the ringing of the bells and the casting down of the evil tyrant, and the next it's everyone sitting around complaining that ever since the tyrant was overthrown no one's been taking out the trash. Because the bad people know how to plan. It's part of the specification, you might say. Every evil tyrant has a plan to rule the world. The good people don't seem to have the knack.”
Two jackboots today:
One of the things Sunshine's lessons have taught me
"And I won't be the pony that says they can't have better!"
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none of that is the same as seeing yourself as a "monster" or as the perpetual bad guy. the paradox of tolerance can be subverted without casting yourself as the villan.
The self awareness to know you don't know best and that you can only make the best decisions you can and to always seek better ways should not come with a negative self view. such thoughts are counter productive and horrible for mental health. Sunshine's lessons should come with this kind of psychiatric advice because clearly she doesn't have the same negative self view.
in this chapter specifically Page views asking Fluttershy to participate in the cause of persevering her tribe as manipulation. This is a patently false view of his methods. casting his benign and benevolent actions in this kind of negative light just makes the truly hard decisions harder.
he's doing good here and he needs to see that.
he won't even take credit for things he's genuinely done like Nocturnis etc.
perpetual dismissal of one's good actions and a negative self view are unhealthy.
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Yeah twilight never looked at the big picture and her hero worship made blind to the flaws of these ponies. She only kept doing the same thing that she always did if it was solved then who cares about the details and aby emotional scars.
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True, feeling like a monster for doing something like this is an overreaction, though bear in mind that he is putting this Fluttershy in a difficult position and bringing something that has been simmering for all to long to a head. It's natural to feel bad for doing that because you're imposing, which is at best rude. Or at least that's how it is from a British perspective.
On the topic of Celestia... She's had a lot more time to find a comfortable balance, though certainly she should be sharing that in the lessons.
11327026
Because fate decides that since he going to have courage then he can be leader. And shaping a ton of lives directly isn't the same as doing little things that will have a big impact.
I wonder if discord is gonna be mad or glad about him being mean to fluttershy there.
Maybe they could do another portal mirror that they can open when they want, like I'm pretty sure they have with their human worlds
this is a really great series
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ya that's the whole problem, a bat plus a bat can equal a chicken, and a bat plus a chicken usually equals a chicken
This whole alternate universe story is just what the series needed. It's revitalized a story that was getting a bit stale, nicely done.
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I think discord will happy if fluttershy is.
Once more enjoying the great chapter and the absolutly priceless comment section
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Pretty sure reading the comments make it very entertaining
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Poor guy needs indeed that knowledge snuggeled into him...
I can see how he feels like he is dumping lots of work onto other people and running, in a round-a-bout way he is.
But... he doesn't really have a choice, so long as he wants to get back to his universe.
One could argue that if he is not going to see it through to the end, that he shouldn't start something. But then you consider the alternative: Chrysalis losing her Hive and being left in a stone prison; thousands of Batponies never getting the chance to come together, get cured of their curse, or set out on their own community in the world.
Considering how much Paige likes to be directly involved in events around him, I am not surprised he feels this way. But he is going to have continue to accept the help of others, and have trust-faith-in those around him to make the right choices; in this way, it is like parenting. The best you can do when raising a child is to teach them what is right and wrong, and show them everything you know so they can have the groundwork to forge their own path and destiny.
I know Paige trusts Celestia and Luna to lead the world into a better place, he just has to get rid of that pesky little worry of his rearing it's stubborn head.
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Very good points. Young Alicorn's still have to learn a lot. Not to mention the old ones having to learn to address problems that needs them adapt to new situations and changing times.
What Angel said:
1.) “Dear Stablehouse, you’ll never believe what happened to me…”
2.) “Bow chika-bow-wow.”
3.) “Mail order Stud? You cheeky!”
4.) “Mashing wings tonight?”
5.) “Would this be a Batty Call?”
6.) “Score, Foal Support from a Royal has got to be huge!”
I’ve got more!
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I have a feeling it was something along the lines of "FINALLY", maybe "Finally! And one of yours too". ;)