“So this is what we have right now?” I asked Starlight.
It was early evening, the sun was close to the horizon outside and I had gone looking to see how they were doing. Midnight had been nowhere in sight which was understandable as her parents were still here. Didn’t blame her for wanting to spend time with them.
But Starlight had still been working.
Starlight nodded, “in short, it’s basically an effort to reverse the effect we used to bring Twilight back to here.”
I looked at the blackboard filled with math looking scribbles. For all I knew, that could be the recipe for chocolate cookies and I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.
Celestia had taught me a lot about magical theory, but this was way above my level.
“And how’s that going?” I asked.
Starlight brushed her mane back and looked up at the equations, “...Actually, fairly well. It’s harder than we thought at first, but it’s doable.”
“Do we have any sort of time frame here?” I asked with a small frown.
Starlight shrugged a bit and then looked at me apologetically, “...Another couple of weeks at least. Sorry. We want to be sure it works… don’t want to get it wrong and have you end up somewhere else.”
I swallowed.
I had not even considered that possibility. Now I was and I really, really didn’t want to.
“Please don’t. Take any time you need.”
Starlight smiled, “Don’t worry, we’ll figure it out. And I may have a letter for my counterpart for you to bring along.”
“No plans for world domination.”
Starlight mock pouted, “Never get to have any fun,” she played along before she smiled, “And on that note, I’m heading to bed. It’s been a long day. Good night, Prince Page.”
“Good night, Starlight.”
As she left, I took another look at the blackboard before I turned to head out as well. I really, really wished they didn’t forget to carry the one somewhere.
I trust Midnight. I trust Midnight.
“Prince Page?”
I blinked and looked to the guard approaching, “Yes Private?”
The unicorn saluted, “Princess Twilight sent me to find you. She wanted you to know that a royal carriage has been spotted at the train station with the markings of the Crystal Empire.”
“That’s fast, they must have really hauled tail to get here in this quickly,” I said with a small frown.
“Yes, sir. We didn’t expect them for another two days.”
I nodded, “Well, take me there.”
Seriously, this place was like a maze. All echoing crystal surfaces, didn’t like it that much to be honest.
He saluted again, “If you’d come with me, sir,” he said and led the way.
I followed him to the map room to find a group of ponies gathered already. Midnight, her parents, Talon.
“Page!” Midnight said and turned to me, “Where have you been?”
“Asleep,” I said as I crossed over to them before giving her parents a small bow, “Apologies for not greeting you earlier,” I told them, “But I thought it was better to let you focus on your daughter without distractions.”
Midnight turned to them, “Mom, dad, this is Prince Blank Page of Nocturnis. Page, my mother, Twilight Velvet and my father, Night Light.”
I gave them another bow but Twilight Velvet stepped forward and pulled me into a hug and I almost startled. Sure, they never showed any hesitation back home, but that’s when knowing I was dating their daughter and seen me at a distance multiple times.
Here I was a stranger.
“Thank you for keeping our daughter safe,” she murmured quietly against my shoulder..
I hugged back, “It wasn’t just me,” I told her quietly, “But did what I could.”
Twilight Velvet smiled and let go, taking a step back before the door opened and Shining Armor walked in, quickly followed by Cadance.
“Twily!”
They both ran forward and gathered Midnight into a tight three way hug. Twilight sniffed and hugged back tightly.
I took a step back as Night Light and Twilight Velvet joined into the hug. I looked down at Talon, “Home isn’t a place,” I told him quietly, “It’s people.”
He nodded and walked to join the hug.
Home is the people, er, ponies that you care about. Which is a problem, since Midnight and Talon care about the new world and the old.
Also, gonna sub in for other editing nitpickers and point out that you said there were a lot of PHONES gathered at the train station.
11308164
Oops
Nice
11308166
Happens to the best of us, friend. Trust me, I should know, given how many times I bork up on my own stories.
Dawww level over
9000!!!
D I A B E T U S ACQUIRED!
Awww... Hugs are nice
I wonder if Cadance try to ship Midnight since Page is with his Twilight... Twilight sandwitch is still possible even with Tempest. It just takes a centurie or ten...
“But I did what I could.
slight mistake there, hope you don't mind me pointing it out
11308191
quick! we need 500CC's of angst STAT!
*inserts the fact that they'll have to choose whether they have to stay or go*
...how are you feeling now?
Advanced Chocolate Cookies
Noticed he didn't use Midnight there for the second half, an intentional choice I believe
The ssying does go, "Home is where the heart is" not "Home is where the hearth is"
11308215
Dissapointed that the Diabetus did hit harder
Wonder how Cadance and Shining will react to Page only going for his Twilight and not theirs.
Also that Page don't leave a 11 Month preperation present in case they don't meet again...
11308191
"What!? That's impossible! Is this thing broken!?"
*READINGS ARE OFF THE SCALE*
11308164
you can't always pick where you end up either. She's going to have to make a choice either way, though as much as he's tempted he also can't take this world's starlight with him because she's plot related too
11308288
I mean, he could. It would most likely ruin the world, but he could.,
Cadance: *whispering into Midnight's ear* So thats the male alicorn I been hearing about huh? You SURE you don't wanna keep him here?
Midnight: Cadance...DON'T.
Cadance: What? The world is better with more alicorns for...security...and...research! Magical research! We'll start by measuring that wingspan...
Shining: You're a married mare...to ME!
Cadance: We'll make compromises. Don't worry.
Shining: That is not wha---wait define compromises. I'm listening now.
Midnight: I don't want hear this conversation anymore! LET ME OUT!
*Midnight struggles to free herself but more ponies and a dragon join the hug*
Midnight: Noooooo
11308345
C'mon Midnight, you should know better with any Cadence. Cause as we know with the Princess of Love that 🎶The Shipping Never Ends!!🎶
11308345
*Cadance puts on her shipping glasses, which she won in a poker game off of Elton John and produces a whiteboard*
"Now you see, while a female alicorn's shipping factor is related to this function, you'll see that for a male alicorn they're governed by this function over here..now interestingly enough while a female alicorn's wingpan is a function of length, times chord, a male alicorn's wingspan is to the square of the length times the chord meaning...wait where did everypony go?"
11308180
And sometimes we're not even sure it's a snafu because you write characters that can out-Discord Discord.
Not much to comment on about this chapter, except that I do like Page's continuing navigation problems inside the crystal tower thingy... There's a reason I call it Mindon Meldo, and that is because I don't know the actual name!
11308268
Bad! Bad! No degeneracy!
On a more serious note, that would just be plain tragic.
Sadly quite a few mistakes today to be jackbooted:
Despite a common misconception, 'math' is not a word. Something along the lines of: 'filled with mathsy-looking scribbles'
Double full stop.
I could rail against a few localisation errors too, but that's probably enough for today.
11308419
Still not as good as these stories tho
I can't wait until the next chapter. I keep wondering how crazy things have gotten back in page's universe considering a missing alicorn is a big thing.
I do hope Twilight stays, this Equestria needs her. And I hope Spike stays too, for where would she be without her number one assistant?
Pinkie Pie Cousel meeting:
Former Prime Pinkie Pie: "The Universal Numbers have changed. 01 is 02, 02 is 03 and so on. Only 021 is put on last position on the list."
Former Pinkie Pie 021: "Why?"
Former Prime Pinkie Pie:
"Because it was 21, do or don't, you lose. Now for the last time."
Former Pinkie Pie 021: "Huh... Neat "
New Prime Pinkie Pie: "Hi i am Pinkie Pie Prime now and i have a Welcome to the Counsel Party just for you all!"
Every Pinkie Pie else: "Partyyy"
Former 021 Pinkie Pie: "Wait, why is she making a party for us and we not for her?"
New Pinkie Pje 02: "Logic" ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
11308345
I love it
11308505
But - it - is - Fun
Also Page is a true Stud, so by rules that makes totaly sence his first Foal with any Alicorn is a Colt. A colt is bold and can hold the boat that will fill out with Husbandos requests.
Cadance shipping will last... F-O-R-E-V-E-R
11308908
Speculation is fun, aye. Though personally I prefer to speculate upon the primary angle; Luna - Page. Call me boring if you will, but that is the relationship this story was built upon, by gum! It makes the most sense to be from whence any family with spring, what them actually being married, their having discussed it before and the general wholesomeness of the story.
Besides, 'daddy abandoned me in another universe' does feel a bit too much like a supervillain origin story for comfort.
11308936
Damn... What a Backstory for a Villain
11308936
Meh. It worked well enough for Marvel's Galactus-Eater-of-Worlds.
11308505
Math is a word, just not used as an adjective. Mathy would work better here, I think that's what you meant.