Chapter 11
"So what do you think so far?" Fluttershy asked with a smile as she led the way along one of the main bridges in the rough direction of the so-called castle.
I moved to the side to be out of the way of a pair of earth ponies carrying planks. I waited until they were out of the way before I answered, "It seems... nice. It's different from where I used to live, a lot more different."
"Any family there?"
"No," I said and shook my head.
Fluttershy nodded a bit, "You're not the only one here. A lot of ponies come here alone. We have even some non-bats arriving looking for somewhere they can build something new."
"Oh. That's the lower town I saw?"
She shook her head, "No, even if a lot of them do prefer to live there. The lower town is mostly made up of ponies without wings; they find it much more comfortable to have their hooves on the ground."
I glanced over the railing of the bridge and the deep drop below, "I guess I can see why," I admitted.
Without wings, working here had to be a bit nerve wracking before you got used to it.
Fluttershy smiled and looked down, "Not all have moved down. Some still prefer to live up here. And some with wings live down on the ground, even some of us bats."
"Is the entire town nocturnal? Even the... non bats?"
She shook her head and started walking again, "No, but the great majority are, especially among us bats. We can be awake during the day, but it takes effort and makes a lot of us feel sleepy."
"I always did have trouble staying awake at school," I agreed, "So what do you do when not guiding new ponies around?"
Fluttershy smiled, "I'm on one of the hunting teams and I help take care of the livestock. I also have some duties to the Prince."
"Oh really?" I asked, "Like what?"
She shrugged her wings a bit, "Mostly organizational for holidays and such."
"What about the other parts? Livestock and hunting?" I asked as we approached the commercial district.
Fluttershy shook her head, "It's not as horrible as it may sound. Most things around here is really dumb and trying to eat us first anyway... and we do need meat in our diet."
"Oh."
She shrugged, "I wouldn't be mad at a cat for hunting a squirrel, she's just trying to eat. We're creatures too. We need to eat as much as the cat does... we're fine on mostly fruit, but we do need some meat after the decursing."
I slowly nodded, flicking one ear.
That had been the biggest thing for most batponies. They had lived with the usual equestrian view of such things all their lives. It was actually remarkable how quickly they adapted. Then again, I suppose it helped that it tasted good.
"Here we are," she said as we reached the general store before leading the way inside. The store wasn't big. Really, none of the buildings in the upper city were what you would call big, even the palace. The lower city was a different matter, especially the bath house which I was actually looking forward to trying. Anytime I went before I was just taken to my own private pool.
Kinda defeated the point in my opinion.
But my ponies had insisted on building the damn thing which meant I had to keep using it.
I followed her into the store where we almost ran into the owner. From the name Iron Brand, you would have expected an earth pony. But no, he was an older bat with a dark grey coat and almost white mane and tail, his mark being that of a golden bit.
"Miss Fluttershy," he said with a smile and a small bow, "How may I help you today? I'm afraid your shipment has not arrived yet."
She smiled, "Oh, that's not why I'm here," she said and motioned to me, "Brand, this is Night Wind. He's a new arrival and employment suggested he try here."
Iron Brand gave me an appraising look, "Night Wind," he said, "Ever worked in a store before?"
"Actually, yes," I said with a smile, "A book store when I was younger."
He nodded, "Might as well try you out," he admitted, "The last two were a complete loss, maybe you'll do better."
Well, I convinced you and everybody else to move to a monster infested jungle, how much more difficult could it be to sell... whatever is sold in a general store. Generals?
Damn, I have not really gone shopping for myself in… quite a few years now.
I suddenly felt rather out of touch.
I nodded firmly, "I'm going to give it my best."
"I'll be back to get him at the end of the night, "Fluttershy said and then looked at me, "Continue our tour then?"
"Yes please, Lady Fluttershy."
She nodded and left, the door closing behind her and I turned to Iron Brand,
"What's first, boss?" I asked with a smile.
He flicked one ear, "First, put your bag in the back. Then I'll show you the register. Then we get to work."
I quickly did as he told me before returning. The register wasn't the same as the one I used way back, but really there was a limited amount of change that could be done to one. It was simple enough.
"And you finish the ringing up by closing the drawer," I said with a nod, sliding it shut.
"Good," he said, "Then I have your first task. Go down the stairs in the back to the lower level, I have sacks of potatoes stored. I need then split up into smaller bags for easy purchase. Not everypony need forty pounds of potatoes at once, nor can afford it, nor the cooling spells to store them."
I nodded, "Potatoes are imported, right? Do we sell a lot of them?"
"Not to other bats," he said, "Some, but the majority goes to undertowners. For being imported goods, it's not that expensive. It's cheaper than grain in any case as we don't import it from as far away either."
"Can do, boss," I agreed with a nod, "How much a bag? One or two pounds?"
"Do two," he said, "Hundred of them should be enough."
Nodding, I trotted into the back of the store and then down the narrow staircase. The place wasn't lit, but the gloom wasn't enough to hinder my vision and small chirps of sonar made it easy enough to navigate.
Opening the door, I slipped inside and instantly shivered.
The room wasn't a freezer, but it couldn't have been more than five or so degrees above freezing. Coming from the thirty plus outside and into here felt like walking into a snowstorm.
The inside was almost pitch black and I looked around, finding the pressure pad I gave it a tap and a small little single glow crystal came to life, giving just enough illumination for me to see by.
Yep, that's a bunch of sacks of potatoes and other goods that liked the chill.
And a stack of much smaller empty sacks.
Might as well get to it.
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Only two pounds? That's not even a kilo. Would my self not last very long. Never have seen them offered for less then 1,5 kilos or 3 and a quarter pounds.
Nice
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Sounds like the average citizen doesn't really have much money to spare, and while they're "Cheaper than grain", doesn't mean they're not necessarily hurr'n expensive. Probably a couple of potatoes per stew to make ingredients stretch, if things are as tight as they sound.
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Through enough, though for m that would still be a nightmare. I stil live with my family and the three of us need at least half a ton per year.
Blank Page actually sleep for once, simply dreaming.
What unexpected happened was that a dream parasite with a death wish apparently was about to prank the Alicorn of Dreams.
Blank Page was surrounded by gigantic potatoes, with little arms and legs. In addition to many potato eyes in different sizes and shapes, they had a pair of demonic red eyes that seem to be their mainly used ones. Everywhere overhanging mouths filled with way too many jagged teeth.
“We hear yous been talkin’ shit about us potatoes,”
the leading one of them said.
“We been keepin’ yous bata pone alive,” another said. “Where’s yer gratitude bata pone?”
“Ain’t we good enough for yas anymore?” a third asked.
Blank Page gave two seconds of careful consideration to attempting to plead his case and to sway the angry produce to his way of thinking, this bad dream was surprisingly entertaining!
Having considered the notion previously if he could make one his pet, just for a dream realm experiment. Twilight & Midnight have done stranger things...
He walked between two of the spuds of wrath and waited to see what would happen next.
All around him, mixed with the angry shouts and little footsteps of his unusual confrontation produce he heard a song strike up, if he didn't know it better, this dream was invaded by a group of dream parasite, acting like Changelings high on love, trying to pull a prank:
~Attack of the killer potatoes
~Attack of the killer potatoes
You planted them to get you through
And never thought the things you grew
Would come right back to feed on you bata pone♤
[Potatoes! Potatoes! Potatoes!]
~Attack of the killer potatoes
~Attack of the killer potatoes
They’re tubers off in hot dancing pursuit
They’ll eat you up from mane to hoove
And then they’ll file a slander suit, with the Flim & Flam brother!
[Potatoes! Potatoes! Potatoes!]
You bata pone thought they’d keep you all fed
But now they just want you all fat or dead
Your disrespect has got them steamed
They’re madder than you ever dreamed
So better run- or you’ll be... (the potatoes argued for a minute what to fill in here, but then suddenly continued as is nothing happened)
[Potatoes! Potatoes! Potatoes!]
So now we have the dance scene
No butter and no sour cream
Just a pone whose name is flat even for a bat
And some tubers here are out for blood and would mind to pull you through the mud
That’ll teach you to sass a spud
[Potatoes! Potatoes! Potatoes!]
They repeat the entire song without stopping for a short conversations this time, Blank Page was about to surprise the group of dream parasites, as Blank Page noticed that it wasn’t just one in the conversation between Potatoes and spuds.
As they finished he song along:
[Potatoes! Potatoes! Potatoes! POTATOES!]
He applaud the group of dream parasites and cheer them on, that confused the Tarterus out of them, but also was somehow nice...
When Blank Page ask for a encore, did they performed the same routine again.
Luna visited her beloved and get to see the performance of a lifetime, shortly Page and Luna had a conversation about the opportunity these deviants of their race presented.
Blank Page to Lunas surprise granted them access to a 'the dream realm Sanctuary similiar space bubble' made a Theater for them.
Instead of feasting on fear and despair,did these on started to feed on laughter and appreciation.
Blank Page and Luna promoted and instructed the casual dreamer to visit the performance.
Not to long after ten of thousands visited the dream parasites daily and they individual grow to impressive strength. Luna warned Blank Page about the negative potencial if they ever go after fear and despair again, but Blank Page had used Neighsay as a test subject.
Turns out:
While fear and despair tasted 'nice', happiness and joy tasted a lot better. The difference between fresh baked bread and freshly baked bread with a rich salad or meat selection.
The former dream parasites slowly mutated their nature over time and become mutually beneficial dream realm entertaining Theater professionals.
For a fee if dream realm energy they performed differently flavored shows.
The most fun they had with:
》Resident Evil Outbreak《, a interactive theater piece where random selected visitors could choose between differently running paths of the same story.
》Dead Space《, a interactive theater piece where random selected visitors could choose between differently running paths of the same story, but different endings.
》Nightmare Moon autobiography on the Moon《
A by Luna writtem drama, showing the dread but also the silly fun Nightmare Moon go through in the mission to keep herself entertained for a millenia.
》STARHORSE《
(basically all Starwars movies just with all sorts of equines)
》Aliens& Aliens versus Predators《
(Basically the Alien and Predator series,as well when a crossover movie happend)
To say this experiment in the dream realm was a success was like saying a Mango tasted nice to a Thestral.
[Yes, I used the 'Monster AG movie' plot as a comment section side story]
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Ha-HAAA!
Dare you to top that story on Chapter 11 comment section.
Best 30-45 minute story out of nowhere I come up with in this story perhaps.
...COUPLE HOURS LATER OF CREATIVE POSITIONING OF POTATO SACKS ...
Night Wind:
As the soldiers on both sides of the Potato Sack War wait with tense silence, negotiations between King Taters and President Fry are beginning to deteriorate. More months of senseless battle are almost evitabl--
Iron Brand:
Hey how are you doing down there? Hmm...I don't recall telling you to organize the sacks to neat rows of ten??
Night Wind:
...umm it was easier to keep track of the count that way? 
Iron Brand:
Well next time use a tally mark system instead. You need to bring these potatos upstairs and this arrangement is just wasted energy.
Night Wind:
Yes sir!
...IRON BRAND RETURNS UPSTAIRS...
Night Wind:
...Last minute offers given by King Taters secured the peace agreement. Potato Sack War is over! Soldiers can now march up the mountains to return to their families. 
I forsee shenanigans
Hard for history to repeat itself when immortals as rulers have first-hoof experience of horrors of war and peace times. I can see many demand their ruling, unlike company payed short lived politician.
Immortals will still have to life through anything political decisions result in afterwards, including environmental preservation.
The war everyone started and ended resulted in poor outcomes for everyone, no matter the side.
So poorly that the peace treaty became nothing more than a ceasefire in the bloodiest conflict of historical recording spanning every millenia.
Blank Page and others personally would try to never sentence a sapient being to death if feasible, but that only once the concept is at least a few decades old.
It is slow to change.
I would guess also to never sentence a individual to a life where they would never have a chance at freedom.
At least one chance should be given under restrictions of being roughly watched.
Wonder if Neighsay ever get a chance? I doubt it...
However all of this is beyond any frame of reference they would have on official...?
Instead one could wish to talk about what comes after.
There is always a after, especially for immortals.
Is quite clear that the horrible crimes committed over the centuries to one another can not allowed to happen again and again, like it has for centuries.
We cannot bury this fact of incidents repeating periodically. Wars of our past have always the same reasons and motives.
We must learn from it and we must be better than it, with immortals as a leader it can be accomplished.
If they can't, noone can.
To forget the pain we have inflicted on each other is to let it all happen again. Ponies has proven that hundreds of times. Especially in the unification wars.
I think Celestia once showed Page a fight where a Earth Empire army was burned to ash?
Wasn't it last story even?
We can agreed on a general course of action, but they have not lead to a satisfactory result, or will anytime soon...
The wrongs we have committed must be made right... eventually.
Though individuals like Neighsay seem to fall out this roost.
Blank Page and Luna would be instrumental with their nights activities and immortality.
The tenets of real peace have been irreversibly broken long ago, we must agree on the right course of actions to make amends and learn from the past.
And not willful ignore its teaching for personal gain.
Canterlot Nobels will get very sweaty hooves from that
Though many in power in Canterlot and Manehatten understandably might feel otherwise, given they be on the chopping block, or rather their position.
If someone asked me to forgive one of those who made it their monetary rewarded business to fuck other over, I don’t think I could give them a chance.
Just like a baker is producing bread to feed others.
So do politician get payed to obtain their position and help corruption to prosperity. It's not even a secret.
A nationwide failing, world powers are openly practice it, perhaps a good example is how Griffonia has fallen?
Or the Yeti Nation with their obvies flaws.
Everypony important knows it, knowing when someone would stop fighting it, they suffer lethal accidents, financial ruine and suddenly not to subtile media smoke campaigns.
Neighsay at least tried it.
But we must be better than those we accuse of, something longevity would be great for!
Like that of true immortals towards time beings.
We just have to tighten the security as seen when Neighsay trued murder Blank Page...
Especially for the fact that future trials will be very... delicate.
Something depending on nation can be passive physically and mentally straining.
Not to mention social standings of individuals or groups, like Nocturnis for example.
The last thing Equestrian want to do, is giving religious followers a blank check on security concerns.
We all should know exactly just how much can be labeled as security of the state.
Especially a currency ruled politician faction.
They would refuse to allow this concession simply because it is a boon for them.
That in exchange for a token effort like citizens stamp, everyone be efficiently be treated a slave to the system, but a slave none the less.
Changelings come to mind...
A slave not noticing the cage it is hold in, will not try to break free of its cage.
The safety of a entire economy of corruption is hard to dismantling.
The entire species on Equus will have to give more than token efforts to get anywhere.
There are a lot of subversive elements within the world, if given the chance they rip organisations and individual working against their machinations to shreds and slaughter any survivors.
Immortals are obviously their go to target, if they get a chance.
Villains of one faction are hero for another one...
It is not even some secret organization or society of supremacists or a mysterious 'something else at work', we make literally books and movies out of the shit for entertainment, because its so widely known.
Probably ponies and non ponies as well.
Many not even give any intend to find out how this happened, unless they have,a backup plan.
Like Nocturnis?
Dismantling the most powerful weapon in their arsenal, 'propaganda, just because you asked nicely will not work.
Blank Page and his allies have one Tarterus of a uphill battle before them.
The triarchy must make concessions for the sake of cooperation and financial support, every movement needs funds to move anything beyond individual belives.
The ability to propagate is a major tool to use to make or break the law.
If I am not mistaken not to few pony politician thrive after being given such impunity before they made a example outof Neighsay.
With Griffon ambassadors eventually settled, I think the next matter is jurisdiction, citizenship, and legislation. Especially after that ark.
Because even the simpel minded see the issue that will come from it.
Any being to reside within any nation will be expected to follow the nations laws.
If reasonable, something that is actually a entirely three dimensional puzzle in itself...
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Wow. Writing your own story in the comments there bud?
Too long, didn't read by the way. And i like reading.
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I do it for many stories, but my actually written stories are more fun.
Like my displaced Dragon, or the Queen of Necromorphs to be, or Changelings Empress or...
You get the idea.
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I recommend text to speech functions.
It's easier on the eyes.
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It's a public bath and he's a harem isekai by technicality. How could there not be shenanigans?
I just read the entire series from the first story up till now. You’re a real champion for keeping this series going. I love all of it and my favorite scenes are those that involve Queen Chrysalis.
I just realised that this series has been going on for almost a decade. Holy sh-!!!!
Your dedication to this series and the fandom is amazing Hiver. Incredibly inspiring!
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Yep we recently lost a community Author from 2012, it's always great to see older Authors keep their passion.
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camo.fimfiction.net/EDomHj9C9yToeBV9O-YgUN5u4Fw_FivNWA1XTdYrNac?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.tumblr.com%2F52cea8464266170c7a52df45b1a94a21%2Ftumblr_inline_mfi5vhwNQY1rtf8yz.gif
Loving silly Page side stories ♡
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You like reading? OK than this is for you:
Obviously you messed with the Banane muffin mafia, they are known to employ Kiwi assasination specialists.
But don't worry. The Kiwi assassin are a little stabby, but a Strawberry one would have used a rusty spoon to cut you up. Those sick ice cream makers...
Never forget to pay your taxes to the Apple government, otherwise things go Pear shaped faster than you can say:
"I didn't even see the Cuchini, before it penetrate my Garlic dispenser."
You are welcome.
coming from our modern time, and then living mostly in urban areas in canterlot, a rural general store is a hell of a different thing than he'd ever have experienced anyways
Cross-posting this from the Space Battles thread at Hiver's request.
===
Tales from Before
===
"You're collecting stories about Before?" Shade Leaf asked. Being one of the Prince's personal guard afforded a fair bit of kudos at the bar, so she got one of the better seats to stare at the newcomer, Night Wind, from.
"Y-yeah," came the quiet reply. She wasn't sure what to make of Nocturnis's newest bachelor yet, but he was a Bat, and that meant he'd probably been hiding his true self so long he might not even know who he really was yet.
Shade knew that she sure hadn't. Her sister was always the one to lead them, but that was usually just to quiet jobs out of the public view so that they wouldn't be discovered. Nocturnis had changed everything for her.
"...Why?"
"B-because somepony needs to remember them. I don't think it's right, that we forget why we came here."
Shade Leaf frowned for a moment, then looked to the corner. "Hey Bit, what do you think?"
A dark grey Thestral looked up from the mug he'd been lost in and took a moment to focus on the bodyguard. "Hmm?" He rumbled.
"The new bat says he's collecting stories about Before. How about it, want to tell him why you were crazy enough to come to a bat-hungry jungle?" Shade smiled grimly. If Night Wind caught the somber undercurrent, he didn't let on.
"..." Tight Bit shifted his gaze to the new pony. Dark, slitted eyes regarded him like a jeweler considering a rough gem, or a forester measuring a stubborn trunk. Despite himself, Night Wind shifted under that stare. Tight Bit had a large frame, but it was all wiry muscle under thin skin, and a certain... wary light was in those eyes.
They were the eyes of a pony that had known hardship.
Night Wind did not like those eyes assessing him like he might be a predator to run away from... or a problem to be solved.
With measured speed, Tight Bit spoke. "You're asking for much. Some of us would like nothing better than to forget the times Before. I can guess that things weren't rosy for you, like they aren't for most of our kind still in Equestria. So how about telling us your Before to start."
Night Wind seemed transfixed by Tight Bit's stare. After a few moments, he finally answered, "not much to tell. Isolated at school, always afraid I'd be discovered. When my mark came in and I found I could write reasonably well, I got a job as a technical writer. Never had to meet anypony, just had to get the details and write them all down in a way that made sense."
"Five crushing lonely years later, I knew I had to change. I came here, because I was so tired of being scared."
Tight Bit nodded approvingly at that. "That's a common Before for most of us. Scared and isolated, afraid of our own shadows, living lonely lives."
A round of sad nods met those words across the bar. Everybat there knew what Bit was talking about.
"Some of us had more reason to leave than others, Night Wind." Tight Bit's face slacked into something a lot less calculated... and slid somewhere between blank and bleak.
"I don't remember my parents very well. My vampony features came in sometime before I turned nine. My mother and father both blamed each other. I think that neither knew about any thestral heritage in their family trees. The screaming fits would keep me up at night."
"And, one day during the summer break from school, my father took me on a camping trip. He said it was so we could bond, and understand my bat side better."
"We took a long train ride, longer than any I'd been on before. He didn't tell me where we were going, saying it was a surprise. We arrived at a small town, barely a village, and set out into the mountains. All day, we walked. The shadows under the boughs were nice, I remember."
"We set up our bedrolls for the night, and because I was so tired, I slept very deeply."
"When I woke up, I was alone. His pack was gone. I had no idea where I was. No idea how to get back."
Most of the bats there had heard this story before. The ones who hadn't, like Night Wind, were openly staring at Tight Bit, their mouths open.
"Fortunately, I was better at surviving the woods than they were at killing me. It took several weeks to find my way to another pony, and he... well, that's a story for another day. Let it be enough when I say that by the time I rolled up in Manehatten, I had what a doctor later told me was 'permanent gauntness from acute childhood starvation' and not a bit to my name."
"Every year, on the anniversary of being abandoned, I'd ask myself if I shouldn't just go back to those woods and lay down and die."
"Every year, I'd be worn down on reasons why I shouldn't. It was seven years ago now that I finally ran out. I bought the train ticket, and went to bed that night ready for my last journey."
"That night, Prince Blank Page came to me in a dream. He came to hundreds of us. He told us about our people. He told us that we were cursed... and that he could break the curse. He shared his dream of a city in the jungle, a place where bats did not need to fear."
"He told me to come with him if I wanted to live."
Night Wind saw from the corner of his eye the resolve on the faces of so many of his bats. He saw tears openly rolling down cheeks.
But the main thing he saw was a pony he'd always liked and relied on look up to the castle with pride and awe openly displayed.
"I don't know if you've met the Prince yet, but know this. There is a reason I bow to him, a reason I work so hard for him. And it has nothing to do with the horn and wings."
"It's because Prince Blank Page saved my life."
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Holy cow, I missed this one. Thanks for reposting!
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Heh, you must be new here. Ole Black Soul posts more content in the comments section than most of the authors do in the actual stories he comments on
I'll admit I wasn't a fan at first, but now I kinda look forward to seeing what he posts on Hiver's stuff.
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THAT was beautiful!
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Attack of the Killer Potatoes. That was surprisingly brilliant. It may be my new favorite side-story, topping Windy's story about Celestia's
secretarypillow.usrimg-425.fark.net/Y/Y4/fark_Y48-2B8Lw-OQ37OpcOojrQ26rRQ.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=JO3ELGV4BGLFW7Y3EZXN&Expires=1711944000&Signature=HgiwiLrNjzFreIp3A6DmWkZ%2FLLg%3D
Edit: Dangit, my picture went away. It was a creepy-looking potato. Here's another one:
ih1.redbubble.net/image.1725759110.5826/st,small,507x507-pad,600x600,f8f8f8.jpg
Edit: Grrr. Just google "funny potato meme."
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That one was so well-written, I think readers should consider it to be an extra chapter.