I carefully opened one eye and found that I couldn't see anything but stars.
...That didn't help.
Carefully I scooted back, sliding out from beneath Luna's wing as I raised my head and looked around.
Everything seemed normal. No houseplants dancing around and the sky seemed steady outside. I'm pretty sure I was also still in bed. The bed was even still on the floor.
Nothing seemed chaotic.
Carefully extracting myself from beneath the covers I rolled off the bed and sneak over to look out through the window, passing through the silence bubble.
No screams of fear and everything outside seemed normal.
Perhaps Celestia was not completely wrong. Everything seemed to be working. The sun was still in the sky where it belonged. It wasn't plaid colored. Neither was the sky for that matter.
That's good.
Huh.
Maybe I did overreact a bit. Glancing over at the bed I then smiled and crossed back into the bubble and lit up my horn, pulling the covers fully into place over Luna again before I turned and headed for the other chamber.
Like normal, a pot of tea and a cup was already sitting on the table, waiting for me.
Pouring myself a cup, I took a sip before I yawned and headed towards the door.
“Skitter, you might as well come in.” I said as I pushed it open only to blink and step back as a changeling walked past me. She looked somewhat like the one I expected, but her mane was shorter and the holes in her legs were in different spots.
“I am Scarab. I am your new guard. Skitter has been reassigned, Lord Page.” she explained.
I just stared at her, “What? Why?”
“It is not my place to question the Queen's orders.”
Oh hell no.
“Yeah, this is not going to work.” I told her with a frown, floating my cup over and put it down on the table, “You go back to Queen Chrysalis and tell her that I want my old guard back. I'm sure you are good at what you do, but I had a guard I was happy with. I want her back.”
“Lord Page, Queen Chrysalis has tasked me with your protection.”
“And I don't give two fucks. You go tell her I want my old guard back.”
Scarab looked frustrated, her wings buzzing slightly, “I can not leave and protect you at the same time, Lord Page. You have limited authority over me, but you can not countermand my Queen's orders.”
I grimaced at that but couldn't really argue with that. That did put her in a difficult position.
“How about this? I give you my word I will stay in this room until you return. I can't physically be any safer than this. It's the middle of the castle with a lot of guards around and a Princess sleeping in the next room.” I finally suggested.
Scarab still looked uncomfortable with the idea, but she finally nodded, “...Very well. I will return shortly, Lord Page.”
As she left, I tapped my hoof on the floor in thought.
Why would they switch out Skitter? I liked Skitter, I had gotten used to having her around even if she was a bit stiff. I had even gotten her reading from time to time instead of just staring at the door while I was writing.
Nothing against Scarab, I'm sure she is a competent bodyguard, but I had already trained one changeling, I wanted to keep it.
Besides, I liked to think Skitter was a friend and I knew she liked her duties here.
At the very least I wanted an explanation.
Picking up the cup of tea again, I grabbed a book and jumped up to lay down on the couch to wait for her to return.
It didn't take long.
A hour later, there was a knock on the door and I looked up from the travel guide, “Enter.”
The door opened and Scarab walked inside, closing the door behind her.
“And?” I asked, raising a eyebrow at her as I closed the book, putting it on the table next to me.
Scarab scraped her hoof against the floor, her wings buzzing slightly, “Queen Chrysalis would like to inform you that it suits the swarm better to have your guard position replaced.”
I stared at her for a long moment, waiting for her to continue before I raised my other eyebrow, “...And?”
“That is the message, Lord Page.”
Well, fuck that.
Jumping off the couch, I stretched before started towards the door, “I believe I will take this up with your Queen personally.”
“If you wish, sir.” Scarab said reluctantly and followed along, “She can be found in the new Hive.”
The changelings had set up their new hive in some of the caves beneath Canterlot. It suited them well down there.
What made it comfortable for them made it very creepy for ponies however.
Nodding I headed down the stairs, “Scarab... I don't want you to think this is anything against you personally. I just think of Skitter as a friend and I know she liked her posting. I just want to find out why she is transfered and what happened.”
“Yes, sir.” she answered, sounding slightly confused.
This should improve Pony/Changeling if this is going how I think it is.
Ain't nobody messes with best-changeling.
Daw, he got attached to his own love-bug. Yea, unless there's a good reason, like something so important no one else would work, I can't think of a reason to swap her out...unless...
What if Skitter asked for the transfer? What if she feels she may be too attached to her charge, and can no longer guard him properly?
ok I am feeling there is way more to this ok I don't trust Queen Chrysalis she always has a plan, now lets see if it is worthy of a bug beating or not.
I guess somehow the fact that he was becoming friends with skitter has something to do with her replacement.
When you're using 'said' tags, you use a comma instead of a period. After all, "she answered, sounding slightly confused." is not a sentence by itself, but an extension of the dialogue. So, they would be:
"Yes, sir,” she answered, sounding slightly confused.
Skitter has been reassigned, Lord Page,” she explained.
“If you wish, sir,” Scarab said reluctantly
6843582 isn't that only if there is more to the sentence? If the sentence is done than you put a period right?
Reassigned? TO HELL WITH THAT!!!
6843594 Nope, doesn't work like that. Clearly in this case...
“Yes, sir.” she answered, sounding slightly confused.
...what was within the quotation marks were not the end of the sentence. The sentence includes what was outside the quotation marks. Now, if the writer wanted to make it two separate sentences, it would be like this:
"Yes, sir." She sounded slightly confused.
6843582
Thumbs up. Parentheses and quotation marks and their interaction with punctuation are one of the most annoying things about written language. Even I get it wrong half the time.
6843775 If you're a writer and unwilling to learn and improve because of 'preferences', that's really... something. In any case, I'm merely point out the grammatically correct thing to do. Do what you will.
Haven't read the fic yet, but I just wanted to tell my thoughts about the cover art.
It is well done and everything, but it just made me laugh when I saw the faces. They look like they put roofies in one another's drinks and their just waiting for each other to drink it.
Longer chapters, please.
6843894
Hiver doesn't do longer chapters. This is part of how he keeps to his update rate.
6843775
"I will actively choose to spell things wrong" is kind of a stupid announcement to make, no offence. What JBL describes is quite exactly how it's properly supposed to look like. That's the actual English grammar rule for this kind of thing.
To be honest, when I am writing, I do not care about grammer, or spelling, or any of that. I just want to get the story down in some form or other. Fixing grammer and spelling and the like, thoes are things you worry about when you edit, and review, and rewrite.
6843853
6843958
K, so I looked it up, and what you said is very correct for American english. Now is usually the part where I try and defend my point by quoting UK English, but UK English is right the fuck out there on this matter.
As such, I concede the point.
6844745
Well, I learned just the same way back when in middle school, which was the "international" or British English grammar and spelling all the way through, so I think you can safely assume this is the general rule that applies everywhere. Actually, from what I'm aware, this applies equally to my native German as well as French, so it's a useful thing to know in general.
6844757 Aside from the fact that German quotations use the up/down quote marks... Is there a particular reason for that?
6844826
Not any particular one, it's just local convention. Spanish uses upside-down exclamation and question marks at the beginning of sentences for much the same reason - it makes it easier to visually tell the beginning of a sentence from the end of one. When text is small or multiple quoted sentences are squished together on the same line, right after each other, it makes them a little more distinguishable. Otherwise, it doesn't really signify anything special. I actually forget to use them that way half of the time these days, because I use English so much at my work and in my leisure time.
6843953
Honestly, I would be happy with 1/2 the update rate if it meant getting twice the content per chapter.
6844840 That makes a lot of sense. Thank you for enlightening me.
One day I will be good at German... one day.
6843468
I guess if you want to be technical, yeah, getting attached to your "charge" would compromise your ability to protect them, either trusting them to do stupid things alone or being overprotective... or just plain unprofessional conduct.
The reason for her new orders has me very curious too.
Better that Skitter comes back!
I keep reading Skitter as Skeeter. Damn my redneck heritage.
If I were him I probably would have muttered something like "There had better be a good reason for this..." instead of jumping straight to "Oh HELL NAH!"
7019848
Whenever I see the name Skeeter I think of this guy:
vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/doug/images/b/bd/Skeeter%27s_First_Show_2.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140412142750
8326437
Well when I try to say Manhattan I say manehattan
8412888
I have trouble NOT saying "Baltimare". "Baltimore" seems almost foreign to me, which I guess shows how much of a bronie I am. I also say "Chincinnati" instead of Cincinnati because of the Fairly Odd Parents.
Friendship lesson incoming!
5 bucks says Skittles is being replaced because she might hesitate for a second to off him when she receives the orders to.
10274022
lol devious... but ur partially right at the time you commented. there WAS a plan. just not that
10274022
Raise $50 on that one
Dont take Page snuggelbug away
10320292
Does this count as a spoiler?
11586189
Is spoiler a type of food?
Chrysalis knows Page snuggeling feeded her...
Probably want the same!
Snuggle me to Pony-Predator-Person!
Queen Chrysalis:
"I want that little predators love to! I don't want second hoove out version! I need it fresh from the source!"