Chapter 2
Spreading my wings, I landed on the platform overlooking the river. The sun was colouring the horizon a slight red in the distance, filtering through the oncoming clouds.
Tonight had been one of the rare nights during the rain periods where the skies had been clear and I had decided to take the time to have a look at the damage to the farms for myself.
Hooves touched down softly behind me as my pair of thestral guards landed behind me. It wasn’t a lot, just a slight creak of wood and a soft clip-clop as their hooves landed.
Crossing over to the edge of the platform to look down at the damage below. In all honesty, it likely looked worse than it really was.
We were growing rice after all, so it could have been a lot worse when the river burst its banks and flooded the forest below. The pony in charge said she expected that we lost maybe thirty or forty percent as the water was deep, but in my mind, that was the least of the problem.
The river brought a lot of… just junk along with it. Mud, branches, and whole trees now covered most of the fields and couldn’t be cleaned up safely before the water receded, which was weeks away.
“What a mess,” I said with another sigh before I glanced back at the sisters, “I guess that's what we get for having the fields right next to the river.”
My guards for the night were actually a pair of identical twins. Both of them tall for thestrals, a bit over average for a pegasus actually, their coats an almost pitch black and slightly lighter dark grey manes. With their cutiemarks covered by their armor, basically the only way I found to tell them apart was the side they wore their braided manes at and I still wasn’t convinced they didn’t switch from time to time to mess with me. In fact, I was fairly convinced of it.
Shade Leaf walked up on my left, looking down at the fields before she looked at me, “I heard it could be worse, your majesty.”
“So far, we may have lost forty percent, so it could,” I admitted as Leaf Shade walked up next to her sister, also looking down towards the dark waters, “So it could have. But that’s now and there are weeks of rain left.”
“We still have the train, your majesty,” Leaf Shade pointed out, “We managed so far. Anything we can grow only helps.”
I nodded, “We just have to learn from our mistakes,” I agreed and frowned down at the water, “...And maybe get better at building water barriers,” before I shrugged and stepped back, “Best head back I think before those clouds reach us even if it was nice to be able to stretch our wings a bit. Rain always results in being stuck inside.”
Leaf Shade nodded, “We might be better at it than pegasi, but even we can’t fly right in a downpour.”
Very true. And while our coats dried easily and our wings didn’t retain water, nopony liked being rained on. Especially here where it was less like rain and more like standing in a waterfall.
I knew that the times I ended up being caught in it outside, I always ended up feeling half drowned in minutes.
“Let’s go then,” I said and rubbed my eyes with my hoof, “When we get back, you can take the rest of the morning off. I’m just going to look at some reports before going to bed.”
“If you like, your majesty,” Shade Leaf agreed with a smile.
I spread my wings and took to the skies, circling upwards before banking off towards the village. We weren’t the only ones out flying tonight. Even a casual glance showed me dozens of bats flying about, trying to get errands down before the rain returned.
The glow of the market stood out brightly among the glimmering lights of the village. Everypony trying to get things done and then packed up again on the rare rain free day. There was talk about a covered market in the lower village, but there wasn’t space for it yet.
So during the rain period, while some ponies kept their market stalls open, most just shut it down and treated it as a holiday, staying home wherever possible and just curling up with a book.
Something that sounded really good right now actually. Reading those economic reports can wait until tomorrow. The latest Daring Do arrived on the last train and I haven’t even had a chance to look at the cover yet!
Circling down to land on the railing of the throne room, I glanced back and waved as the twins broke off and dove down, circling down towards the guard barracks.
Stretching my wings for a second, I then folded them and left the throne room for our living quarters.
As I entered the living room, Sunset looked up from the book she had been reading in the light of her horn on the couch, “There you are!” she said with a smile, poking the book closed with her hoof as the light faded away from her horn, leaving the room lit only by a couple of candles.
I nodded, crossing over to jump onto the couch next to her, “Hey,” I said and touched my horn softly to hers, “Sparks not home yet?”
Sunset shook her head, “Actually, she was back before me. She’s already asleep in the bedroom.”
I blinked in surprise, “Really?” I asked and glanced at the closed bedroom door, “She’s usually back later than I am.”
Nodding, Sunset rolled over to look up at me, resting her head on the cover of her book, “Said she was tired. I think she wanted to talk to Luna about something.”
“Ah, yes that would do it,” I agreed and shifted, resting my head on Sunset's chest as she put her forelegs around me.
One of us being asleep at an unusual time would certainly attract Luna's attention. In fact, that was the usual way Sunny or Sparks had a conversation with her as they couldn’t just go meet her in the dream realm on their own.
“Want to join her? I’m getting a bit tired,” Sunset admitted, “been a long day.”
“Actually, I had been hoping to read the new Daring Do?” I admitted with a small smile, “Been looking forward to it since it arrived.”
Sunset grinned and nuzzled, “Enjoy your book,” she said and scooted out from beneath me before rolling onto her stomach and stretching with a groan, “I have an early morning tomorrow. Inspection at the train station.”
“Are you sure we can’t relax that by now?” I asked as I enjoyed the view, “The shield bubble is up.”
“Yes, and it works for everything larger than a pony,” Sunset said and relaxed again, shooting me a knowing look, “Plenty of things pony sized in this jungle that think we look like snacks. There is a reason why we still live either behind walls or in trees. And why all houses in the lower village have thick walls and window shutters.”
I nodded. All true. I wish it wasn’t necessary, but we still needed guards everywhere anypony was on the ground. Or like on the ground village, behind tall walls tipped with spikes.
Sunset slipped off the couch and glanced at me with a smile, “Have fun, but don’t stay up too late.”
“I won’t. Sweet dreams.”
“Sweet dreams.”
As she left, I put her book on the table and floated the package containing mine over to me to unwrap it before I blinked and stared at the cover.
Daring Do, in what was clearly a jungle. Next to her, almost back to back was a batpony stallion as they were surrounded by dinosaur-like predators, each of the ponies holding a burning torch in their teeth to ward them off.
I glanced at the title, “Daring Do and the Secret of the Night,” I read slowly. Now I was curious! Opening the book I started to read.
And hoped it didn’t have an R rating. Because that may be a bit awkward.
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And the fun continues ♡
I wonder how the Canterlot Hive is doing in general.
Daring Do should make two version of her stories, mature and teen.
Meanwhile:
Spike tries to woo his filly friend.
Fern tries to woo his future pack mates, Raptor courting is complicated... But isn't that so with all species so?
Angel Bunny construct a Raptor harness and whip, time to ride a Raptor.
Far away in Canterlot:
Luna: "I can't wait to snuggeling my dream stallion tonight, it is a dream come true ever time we meet." ♡
Celestia: "Why is Luna sending me Cake dreams where I am the Cake and Page comes for taste testing?
At least I was banana flavored"
Chrysalis: "Drones prepare the expedition force, I have a little Predator to visit. Daughter! Prepare to snuggelbug him!"
Further somewhere in the Crystal Empire...
Cadance: "My snuggel sense is tingling. Guards! Bring me my husband and Sunburst for immediate snuggeling!"
11584611
that is so funny i hope to see it more to get another laugh
great chapter
11584611
If you're not careful, then you are going to have people looking forward to your comments more than the actual chapter
Cue page writing back to yearling, jokingly pointing out some 'plot holes' that didn't match up to what really happened.
That book better be autographed!
11584621
Nah, that is windy's part.
11584659
I've seen them both write that kind of comments often enough that it could easily apply to them both.
11584700
True enough, but Windy's are usually the better ones. However, I have beaten them both by writing an actuall sidestory.
They probably do
Don't do that, he'll just manage to get into trouble somehow
It would wouldn't it
Page:
..Ok I am skipping this scene and pretending it never happened.
Nice
Nice! I laughed at the book reveal, wonder how accurate it is to real events?
And yeah, probably best to invest more in flood defences in a tropical climate. Maybe some landscaping to encourage run-off would help, though you'd have to work to avoid soil erosion in the process, especially given how fragile rainforest soil is. Definitely perpendicular ploughing (do you plough rice paddies?) on hillsides at minimum, and maybe long term remediation with fertilisers and soil transport to replace losses.
Only one proper jackboot today, though perhaps a tad heavy on the exposition:
that was the least of the problems.
11584613
... 
👍
~♡
👍
👍
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Your welcome, I started this in the prequels and in some other stories I read over the years.
11583805
The paperwork alone will eventually eat up the jungle wood supplies
11583809
I deliver the softdrinks
11583862
Very nice
11583892
Bad luck in getting into situations, but he mastered most of them magnificently
11583940
When Death by age isn't a thing, a unusual death cause will be it... Death by Paperwork? Maybe falling over him and bury the poor stallion like unusualy only snow can?!
11584214
Can't say if your avatar or video selection is better.
Both are very entertaining
11584223
Is it Tuesday already?
11584726
Maybe Page could try releasing another story ? I am still waiting for anotherof his stories
11584700
It is barrels of fun
11584708
Pretty good stuff to
11584782
Yeah, but a good part of tehse situations are more like, why did I agree to this.
And if we come to the point of being not fully focused, the situation with Celesitia's vacation comes to mind.
Well first plans can at times go pear shaped as they saw with the rice fields. They now know to make better plans for that in the areas that they planted.
And Now for the Biggest Question for Page: WHY THE BUCK DON'T YOU HAVE A SMALL FOAL CALLING YOU DADDY YET?!?!?!?
Thanks for the chapter!
Have a great day!
11584799
If anyone deserved a vacation its Celestia.
I rather accept that Celestia take a short 25-50 yesr vacation in that Twilight rules with Luna in her place.
Makes more sense than Luna retirement after she bearly come back.
Best yet is shared ruling:
8 hour and 30 min shifts!
00:00 - 08:30 Celestia
08:00 - 16:30 Twilight
16:00 - 00:30 Luna
Perfectly covered work shifts.
Might be worth sending a message to Neighpon or pony-orient for some rice patty construction tips? Maybe the Griffons will have some ideas?
That Daring Do book sounds pretty good. Would be hilarious if it was rated as such.
Haven't read any of it yet, it's too intimidating. I counted, this entire series is 620 784 words. That's longer than the entire freaking lord of the rings series by JRR Tolkien, which is merely 576 459 including Hobbit.
For more perspective, this is almost as long as the bible. The king james bible is 783 137 words, which is only about 20% longer than this series.
11585005
Pfff. Tolkien was a lazy scrub. :p
I have been writing on average across all stories(MLP is just one of them) a page a day for the last...18 years?
11584878
That Is not even close to what I meant. 
11585008
tbf he did have all of ww2 in the way of his writing sonce he worked some desk job durring the war
Man it feels good to be back with another in the saga.... how long has it been again? Feels like forever but also not.
Ah well it doesn't matter, just glad to be back on it.
Literally just finished Looking Glass knowing it was the most recent and lo and behold I went to post a comment to see this in the sequel box. I apparently have amazing timing.
I have a question in general though, did I miss a story or did they never return to the Equestria Girls world? Seemed like a lot of buildup to the portal opening again for it to never happen, from the title of Looking Glass I initially assumed that's what it would be about but I see now that it wasn't.
11585376
No they where only one time in the EQG world.
After all, once Sunset was back in Equestria, there was simply nothing that connected these 2 worlds together.
11585376
HIver said in another post that they have been just too busy with other stuff like state-craft and getting into shenanigans.
11585005
Dude, those are rookie numbers. Some fics here range into a couple million words.
11585005
there's a couple single fics on here like a few million words, DoaM is 3.2 million words lol
YES!
I come for the story. I return for the comment section.
11585650
Then there's "It's Complicated" with over 2.2 million..... that story got me all kinds of fucked up lol
Do we know what Page's bat pony story title was?
Depression sucks. I just finally dragged myself up to read this and... GREAT GOOGLY MOOGLY! It's complete?!
...Memo to self, Depression: LOATHE!
In any case, I'm loving this and it's bringing me up to boot. Looking forward to this. Thanks, Hiver.
11605487
Yup, that's one of the best stories I've ever read, with some of the most f*cked-up s#!t I've ever read.
11585650
DoaM?
You know there is a reason why humans down all trees were they are makng settlements...
When I read the comment section like in Hivers stories every chapter becomes that mutch more entertaining.
Damn... re-reading my own comments from years ago shows how random my muse is, can't partially remember what give je the ideas to write them
11898968
I assume they mean 'Diaries of a Madman', by whatmustido