Chapter 37
I walked into the throneroom and Spicy Pepper turned around at the sound of my hooves.
She was in her guise of a pegasus and I had the usual double vision as I looked at her. For a moment, her eyes flicked to my wings, then to my eyes, then to my ears and finally landing on my horn.
Her jaw dropped for a second, then so did the rest of her as she bowed down so deeply she was basically laying down.
Oh damn it.
"My name is Blank Page," I told her, "You don't need to do that."
Spicy Pepper looked up at me and I saw hope in her eyes as her illusion faded away.
"I'm not here to save you."
The hope died.
Spicy Pepper slowly got up to sit, but somehow she just looked more collapsed than when she was on the floor, ears drooping and wings hanging down her back.
"I.." she said quietly, "I dreamed that a voice told me to come to..."
"That was me," I confirmed with a smile as I moved to sit before her, "But I'm not here to save you. You are."
Spicy Pepper looked at me, "W-what do you mean?"
"I mean that I can't do it for you," I said and held my hoof out for her, "But I can show you how."
Spicy Pepper slowly reached out and took my hoof, "Who are you?"
I smiled at her, "I am Prince Blank Page of Equestria. Just not this Equestria. If you are willing to listen, I have a story to tell you."
She nodded.
So I told her. I told her about the history of the thestrals, about the blood magic and the curse bound to it. About gathering every thestral that wanted to come, about founding Nocturnis. About the decursing.
Spicy Pepper didn't say a word, just just listened.
"Y-you're not from this world?" she asked as she stood up.
"I'm not. And I have to go back, but I can't leave without trying to do something to help," I said and stood up as well, stretching my wings for a moment, "And for that I need somepony here than can do the job instead."
Pepper gaped at me again for a second before she asked the very understandable question, "Why me?"
I smiled, "Because I know the you from my world. You're smart and a natural leader."
"I run my family's noodle stand! I’m not a hero or a princess or anything important!"
"And very good noodles they are," I agreed with a grin before I turned more serious, "But because that's who you are doesn't mean that who you always have to be. You wouldn't be alone, I know Princess Luna will assist you all the way, you wouldn't even need to do most of the heavy lifting. But thestrals need somepony of their own to show it's safe, to show it's true. To have somepony to look up to. Somepony to help lead them. And you are just plain wrong, everypony is important."
"But why me!?" she exclaimed, taking half a step back.
"Because I know you can do it," I said before I sighed, "But I would never force you into that position. If you say no, I will find somepony else."
"I... I..." she said and shook her head, "It's just so much."
I nodded, "I know," I answered softly, "And I do wish we had a lot of time. But I return to where I came from in a few weeks if all goes as planned."
Pepper flicked her ears, swallowing as she looked around.
"You don't have to decide now," I told her, "In fact, I encourage you to think about it. But in the meantime, I have somepony I want to introduce you to if you are willing to go for a walk with me."
Pepper shivered, her illusion flowing to cover her again before she looked at me, "Who?"
"A bat that lives in Ponyville. I talked to her earlier and she's willing to talk to you. I'd warn you though, she is a bit shy," I said before I ignited my horn, wrapping the illusion of how I looked as a unicorn around myself, "You don't know a lot of bats?"
Shaking her head, Pepper looked at me, "Three, including my mother."
"Before she met me, the only thestral she knew was her mother," I said sadly, "That's part of what I want to change. Would you like to meet her?"
Pepper nodded.
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Knowing their people are suffering not just them might motivate them to take a stand on this issue.
11337621
make a small network to show it can work and is safe then slowly others will likely come out. Who knows this equestria might not need all of them to relocate and insted might end up having a nice reaction
11337634
It will also help if Celestia makes it clear prejudice will not be tolerated Considering that page was pretty much given the cold shoulder and someone had the guards called on him for the crime of being different from them.
11337268
Plus he wants to blame page for what happened when page did his best to look out for her and spike. If he needs someone to blame blame starlight.
Fluttershy is the one to show for best case improvement.
Hopefully we get an update on Chrysalis and the hive before they leave. With it being a similar-yet-different world, things might not go so smooth as "back home".
Spicy Pepper:
So...what did I do in your world that was leadership worthy?
Page:
You took on three giant tortoise monsters and defeated them with only a noodle bowl and some celery broth.
Spicy Pepper:
WHAT?!
Page:
...
No no I'm just messing with you. I first noticed you when you spoke out and rallied the batponies during the speech I was giving.
Spicy Pepper:
Thats even worse! I interrupted a speech made by ROYALTY?! Oh sweet Celestia...my mother taught me better than to do something so stupid.
Page:
Actually I found you AMAZING in that moment. Selfless and brave even...you ok?
Spicy Pepper:
NOTHING! Just getting tangles out of my hair. *hiding her crazy red blush with her mane*
O yeah! FLUTTERBAT + PEPPER = Badflank Bat-Mares!
Page: "You know... As leader you have DIBS on picking Stallions. With capital 'S' as in StallionS!
~♡
Pepper: "Do you know how rare Stallion are in general?
Page: "With the current population every Bat-Mare need to breed with 5 Bat-Stallions at least once successful, you have to share BUT they will share you as well ~♡
Pepper:
Thanks for chapter!
Have a good day!
11337621
...A noodle stand, perhaps?
11337939
...it’d be a start. Besides, nopony’s going to think much of a noodle stand doing brisk business with all sorts of (disguised bat) ponies just coming and going.
11337939
I thinking more along the lines of walk outs on business that refuse bat ponies. Money talks. And if they can get their non bat friends on it then equestria will have to change whether the nobles like it or not because even they have face the market. It worked out for the black folks to the point where they are 99% equal. If it wasn't for the haters refusing to change they be 100% equal .
great chapter
11338326
It's just Celestia plans always work the same way point elements and shoot. Not exactly much of a plan and sometimes not even that. In the crystal empire her plan for twilight to think she had to somehow save it all by herself. She knew more about the place than that but she didn't think about the crystal ponies who were on a time limit and needed to be saved asap. Tests are not for emergencies! Her plan with discord had no backup till the last minute and wasn't much better. Twilight could barely contain all that power and certainly could barely use it but she expects twilight to somehow pull off what 4 alicorns couldn't. And it is always on twilight to handle everything that goes wrong. No offense but even soldiers know they just have to do their best nothing more. Celestia having a backup plan for the crystal empire considering it wouldn't have needed saving if she had made a plan of action. She has guards and magic users who are quite tough but they aren't even given a chance to save the day. And there is a difference between a reasonable chance of a plan working and just hoping that it will work out well. Celestia tends to see what she wants to see in everyone and then acts like she doesn't really have to say sorry about anything.
One problem solved, hopefully...
11337960
There are a lot less Thestrals than that though, so it would depend largely on others going to their defence.
11338490
With regard to the Crystal Empire, consider that aside from finding some adventurers to do the job (which is really not much different to sending the Elements) her options would be largely limited to the standard six:
1. Do nothing, which would look like she implicitly supports Sombra.
2. Issue a statement deploring the tyranny, which would just look like foolish inaction.
3. Lodge an official protest, which might look good on the international stage but would just be ignored by the target.
4. Cut off aid, which isn't being given anyway and so that would be a rather pointless endeavour.
5. Break off diplomatic relations, which also don't exist.
6. Declare war, and we see how well that goes in the parallel timeline. Equestria simply isn't ready for the slog of industrial warfare and spending years building up would hardly be better than just sending Twilight.
Two spelling jackboots today:
Duplicated word
somepony here that can do the job
Hm, wonder if someone might mention to Page the other variants living in isolation from the main three tribes, before he leaves? We have the Kirin/Qilin (pronounced Chee-Lin, not Cheer-Lin, very important), one variant of unicorn, Crystal Ponies could be seen as variants of Earth Ponies, though there are Crystal Unicorns and Pegasi as well; Hippogriff/Seaponies-Mark 2, possible pegasus variant, (don't know if Hiver has anything for Original Seaponies, Flutterponies and such from G1, *shrugs*) yaks, and other zebras, (pronounced ZEB-bra, not Z-bra, by the way, also very important).... So, Page might have a LOT more work coming his way, when he goes back...