“Sorry for slipping away like that,” I said as we walked along the top of the Canterlot wall.
Swift smiled, “Don’t worry about it. Minuette said family trouble?”
I sighed, “Yeah,” before I nodded, “All solved now though.”
He nodded, “Sometimes the safest thing to do is just to leave for a bit. Let everypony involved calm down.”
“Got that right.”
We walked in silence for a while before I frowned, “Say, what’s up with Cloud? I checked his place earlier and somepony else lived there now. DId he move?”
Swift laughed and nodded, “He did. The dumbass got his tail transferred!”
I blinked at him, “What, where?”
“Got too good at what he was doing, got transferred to scout training in Las Pegasus as an instructor!”
I grinned, “Cloud as an instructor? Save the guard!”
Swift grinned, “I know what you mean.”
“...He is really good at what he does though,” I then admitted, “Good for him. It does come with a raise, right?”
“Yep. Trainer positions always do. Because you have to deal with trainees.”
“Or nobody would do them,” I agreed.
Swift nodded, “Ponies are idiots. You’d be surprised how dumb soldiers can be, especially when bored.”
“Well, I have heard stories,” I admitted, “I guess some things are the same no matter which species.”
“So they are, your highness.”
I rolled my eyes and shot him a look, “Oh please.”
“Well,” he said and shrugged, “Considering I’m on duty and you are a royal alicorn, I remember something in the rule book about it being required.”
I grumbled and stopped, looking out over the view from the wall and the empty space outside, stretching all the way out to the horizon. I could see Ponyville in the distance in the light of the rising sun.
Swift stopped and stood next to me, one hoof raised and resting on the battlements as if he was posing. Why wou-
I rolled my eyes again, speaking with a low voice I knew wouldn’t carry, “Come on, dude. You have two mares already.”
“Not my fault you’re being followed by a pair of complete babes,” he answered in the same quiet tone, “We’re not all alicorns, I have to not look bad next to you. I’m representing the entire Night Guard here.”
I tried not to grin. Well, he wasn’t wrong, Shade and Leaf were both really attractive. They kept to a respectful distance, but they followed me as we walked.
“Not my fault,” I told him quietly, “I may be able to slip my guards at times in Nocturnis, but if I tried it anywhere else Moon Glow would tie a weight to my tail.”
Swift looked amused, “As she should,” he agreed before he returned his voice to normal volume, “Did Princess Luna talk to you about the plans yet?”
“Plans?” I asked, “What plans?”
“Oh. Apparently not.”
I glowered at him, “What plans!?”
Swift grinned, “An outpost for Night and Solar guards in Nocturnis. Survival training as well as difficult terrain.”
I frowned at that, “Oh really?”
He hesitated slightly, “...Nopony really told you?”
“They did not,” I said with a small frown, looking out over the lands below again. If Swift knew about it, it was likely pretty far into planning already.
“When was this planned for?” I asked, looking at him again.
“...Look, I only heard rumors and only because I’m likely getting assigned to it because of my previous experience in Nocturnis and the jungle,” he admitted, “At least another couple of months before it’s announced.”
I raised an eyebrow at that. Going with the regular timeframe for that sort of thing, that would make it ponies starting to arrive in six months or so.
On one hoof, a combined Night and Solar guard outpost in town would bring in quite a lot of ponies with bits to pour into the local economy. It would be a real boost for us.
On the other, the perception from my ponies would be a… well, the optics were horrible. It might be possible to spin it, especially if leaning into the economic angle, but this could very easily make quite a lot of ponies very unhappy.
Buck, if things went bad enough my ponies might treat them like an occupying force!
…But bits. A lot of bits. Soldiers got paid and they literally would have nowhere else to spend them than in Nocturnis.
Swift seemed content in keeping quiet and letting me think.
Lot’s of bits. A training compound/outpost was likely hundreds of ponies at the very least. Hundred times what a even a private guards pony made, even ignoring bits put away for savings, bills, sent to family and such…
We’re talking many thousands of bits a month at the very least.
Bucking damn it, despite the drawbacks… and there would be definite upset ponies by this… it was a lot of bits into the money pouches of my ponies.
But even then it would be a really, really hard sell.
“Thanks for letting me know,” I told him, “I’m sure something can be arranged, but I have to discuss matters with Luna and Celestia. I’m sure it has just been missed with the practice trip.”
Swift nodded, “Yes sir.”
Luna is in trouble for making plans that involve his part of the kingdom without asking him first. Now I'm sure he probably would have said yes but she already tried to force another decision on him and even though it worked out in the long run with a few bumps for it though they really should have discussed this before even trying to make plans considering the guards believe that it is going to happen and some of them are probably awaiting the day. They will be disappointed if they don't get to go because Luna forgot to ask him about it.
Nice
Yeah, that's immediately where my mind went. Lots of bats going "oh, so they still don't trust us. They want us gone, but not out from under their control. Rabble rabble rabble."
Great chapter
On the surface, a combined Guard post for training does check a lot of good boxes. But Page certainly noted the negative points quick enough. Considering that none of his SO's in Nocturnis have mentioned it, I guess it's supposed to be a surprise "gift", but it proves that neither sister really grok batpony mindsets.
Given it's a military project, I'd suppose things have advanced too far to halt, but it should be possible to slow things to give Page a bit more time to sell the idea back home if he needs it. Though, he's shown before that he is pretty good at making things happen in a crunch situation if necessary.
Of course. Celestia and Luna butter up Page with quality time and prepare to put this on him with no time to evaluate and decide whether it would be, if not ideal, feasible.
Incomming civil war detected.
So that's how Celestia plans to keep supporting Page without direct loans. Clever... assuming it works out.
Which it usually does, AFTER several rough patches.
*Discord pops out of the wormhole*
Discord: Perfect! Crisis is averte--*notices an angry pink pony* EEP! H-h-hello Cadance. Your hair looks EXTRA lovely toda--
Cadance: EXPLAIN. NOW.
Discord: *gulp* Well..in misguided desperation, I miiiight have recruited a dream creature called the
Tanjiro BlissTantabus to stir up trouble with a significant deposit of chaos magic. A common enemy to bring Page's herd...together? *twiddles his fingers*Cadance: DISCORD!
Discord: Don't worry! I removed our friend from Page's dreamscape experiment. All is good now!
Cadance: *long sigh* Well at least no pony got hurt...
Discord: Well...not exactly. The
Totoro KissTantabus insisted on trying out the chaos magic sooo I gave it a sacrifice??Cadance: WHO?!
Discord: No pony of importance.
...MEANWHILE...
Chancellor Neighsay: *silently screaming while trapped in a dream about losing large sums of money thanks to a Nocturnis charity event*
Spike & Talon:
Welcome to Nocturnis, for everycreatures sake here are the rules ro follow at all times. Not following get you eaten! Or worse somecreature else.
Here we go, ready your notebook:
1. Don't go anywhere below the Village alone, ideally in a group of three. So the idiot that get biten get somecreature to haul his flank to safety, while the other fends of what ever got the drop on him.
2. There is no boring patrol shift, only the one where some get biten or otherwise wounded and the ones that got lucky.
3. Mangos and other Thestral delicacies are not to be hold in duty pouches, Thestrals will otherwise be likely to swarm you and some gets biten.
4. Make sure you report in any disturbance in the farming areas, we have discovered that the protection dome of magic isn't 100% ' something with sharp teeth and tries to get you eaten' proof.
5. Herding is pretty mutch a given here, but Thestral get breeding privileges. Literally in threat of dying out here folk...
6. Nopony is to run if for a 5 minute quicky while on guard duty, we are literally surrounded by very hungry predators and neglected duty can end in eaten ponies.
7. Changeling have by official royal decrees been dubed 'Snuggelbugs. You might endulge in your off-duty time as mutch you want.
But if you feel sad afterwards or melancholy, see a doctor for suspected oversnacking Changelings.
Especially the one that like to enjoy the finer aspect of Changelings relations...
8. Batpony is a slure, don't use it.
Batpone is a word of endorsement of their cute nature, it is fine to use.
9. No there are no vampponies, the blood drinking curse has been lifted by Twilight and Midnight Sparkle.
10. Trying to score with a purple smart Alicorn get you on our shit list, you don't want to end up on two dragons shit list. If 'we bite' you 'will' remember it forever.
Also they are already in relationships.
Blank Page might also want to bite you afterwards.
11. Fluttershy is a sweetheart, but her friends here in Nocturnis are simply terrifying. If you hear talk about cute predators that are perfectly save if you behave...
Just ask for reinforcements, it's the only sane thing to do.
12. Please refrain from accepting 'quickies on duty', the Snuggelbug population likes to enduldge on new food opportunities.
13. Changelings will enduldge your fantasies in private, but if you brag about having experienced the depths of pleasure with purple smart via Ling, we will bite you. Keep your Ling antics to yourself or at least out of our hearing range.
14. Angel Bunny has no good ideas, refrain from supporting any of his ideas.
14.a) Especially if it sounds like a good idea.
14b) even if it sounds to be perfectly safe or without drawbacks.
16. Discord is a resident in Nocturnis, ask him for favors at your own perils.
Guardspony: "What happened to 15?"
Talon: "Somepony noticed!"
Spike: "Note that Guard down for good attention, he is worth advanced courses, because he probably will be under the 'not eaten before rotation ends' list."
*Spike & Talons filly friend nods and write the Guardponies name down*
17. Sky melons are to be consumed in the canteen, not horded in your private quarters! If you get eaten because you acted like a idiot or simply got unlucky they will go bad before somepony can dispose of them and everything will reek for a week. Just don't!
18. In Nocturnis are four kind of creatures:
- The ones that don't get eaten alive or dead.
- The ones that only get eaten partially and learn that Nocturnis was rules for reasons.
- The ones that go missing because they're thought to let their guard down in farming patrol duty, being idiotic in general or forget/ignored the 3 group rule.
- The ones on our shitlist. Don't become the last three things. You will not like it.
19. Blank Page hates paper work, he even tried to outlaw it on 6 separately occurring occasions.
Please keep to the protocol in filling them out.
20. Don't be a idiot, because idiots don't survive Nocturnis.
Another Guardspony:
"So what is rules 15?!"
Spike & Talon filly friend note down this second guard for advanced duties because he probably didn't get himself eaten by the end of his Nocturnis rotation.
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👍 Beautiful
Thanks for the chapter!
Have a great day!
Not entirely sure an outpost in Nocturnis is a good idea even outside of the bats' point of view. The place can be brutal and certainly doesn't pull any punches, so soldiers could legitimately end up dying. Page himself has stated that it's a miracle that no one's died yet.
Well it seems either the Sisters are trying to pull a fast one, or his Mates down in Nocturnis are doing things behind his back. Also not a good thing. Either way Page will NOT be happy. Especially if his threstals get grumpy about this news.
With his not a cult citizens are trying to establish themselves as a culture,he is still dealing with the prejudice that many threstals still have from most Equestrians.
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ponies have died in nocturnis its just a miracle more haven't
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My memory isn't quite as good as I thought it was then.
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At arrival before they established the Village, or at latest when Twilight evacuated the crew when magic resistant T-Rex attacked.
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woo
Just part of that secret treaty between Equestria and the Crystal Empire.
*In the meantime*
While Page and were Swift talking, Chrysalis and the rest of the Hive were busy digging themselves out of all the crystals that had been delivered to Canterlot--and were poured into the caverns to help keep Page from finding out about all of it....
Uh-oooh...