Other Duties As Required

by Hiver

Chapter 38

I waited as the train started to pull into the station.

Screaming metal against metal, puffs of steam, drifting smoke.

The door of the train carriage opened and a pair of guards exited to take position by it, followed by...

I moved to meet them, "Sunny," I said with a grin, "Spa-mph!" I managed to say before Sunsets lips found mine and shut me up. Sparks pulled us both into a tight hug and I broke the kiss, giving her one in turn as I hugged back tightly.

We stayed like that for quite a while before slowly letting go. I dropped down on all four hooves with a smile, "Welcome home."

Twilight stretched a bit with a smile, "Oh, it's good to be home," she said and looked around.

"Yeah," Sunset agreed, "Manehattan was... strange."

I frowned a bit, "Strange bad?"

Sparks shook her head, "No, just strange. Sounds and smells were very different," she said and took a deep breath, "...This smells much more like home."

I smirked, "Coal smoke and hot metal?"

"No, jungle!" Sparks sighed and poked me with her wing, "Nocturnis still where we left it?"

"Uhm, more or less," I admitted, "Some things have been going on."

"Like what?" Sunset asked, one eyebrow raised as Moon Glow started to herd us towards the waiting sky carriages.

I shook my head, "Nothing serious or urgent. Most of it can wait until tonight when you two have had some time to rest."

"No," Sparks said and climbed into the carriage, glancing back at me, "Spill."

I climbed into the carriage with them, "Well," I said and flicked one ear in thought, "I started working out some. Twice a week I started to spar with Moon Glow."

"That sounds fun," Sunny said with a smile, "Think I can join?"

"Sure," I agreed with a grin, "Sparks?"

Twilight hesitated and then nodded, "...I likely should move more so, so yes. if you don't mind."

"Awesome."

"What else?" Twilight asked from my right.

I flicked one ear, "Well... there's trouble with the solar guard base. Due to there now actually being consequences for guards that get arrested, they have banned anyone from there from going to Nocturnis. Been a couple of weeks so far, we'll see how long they last."

Twilight frowned, "That's not good."

"Not good at all," Sunset agreed from my left, "That's against the entire reason to have it here at all."

"Not completely, it really is for training," I pointed out, "But yeah, most of it. But it really was causing more issues than it was worth. Besides, I don't think it will last."

"Possibly," Sunny mused. "What caused it?"

"I got tired of dealing with it, requested a Judge from Canterlot and gave her a free hoof," I said with a smirk, "So far, she's doing awesome."

Twilight nodded, "Anything else?"

I scraped my hoof against the floor of the sky carriage, "The griffons... no, you know about the griffons offer of dredging the river. That was before you left. Oh, I know," I said with a smile, "Midnight found a new tribe of ponies."

"WHAT!?" Sparks exclaimed, jaw dropping as she stared at me, "She actually found some!?" she then asked. Sunny looking just as surprised.

"Which ones?" Sunny asked, "Kirin or Kelpies?"

I smiled, "Kirin," I said and sighed, "Their leader and a small group are in Nocturnis right now. As far as we can tell, there's only a thousand left of them."

Sparks frowned, "A thousand..." she said softly, looking towards the rising sun.

"Yeah," I agreed with a sigh, "A thousand."

Her ears drooped, "That's... Page, we did the math when it came to the thestrals before we knew how many... a thousand... it's not enough!"

I shook my head, "Not purely from Kirin at least," I agreed, "But they're still ponies. They have isolated themselves for a long time, but nothing says they're not cross compatible with other tribes. I guess we'll find out."

"If they move here," Sunset said, catching on at once, "Can we take in a thousand ponies at once?"

I smiled, "Oh buck no. But I thought about that. But I'm not going to tell you."

That earned me a double annoyed look, "And why not?"

I smiled at Sparks, "Because I want to know if you come up with something different from me that's better, without my idea biasing you."

Twilight frowned at me before she sighed, "That's fair, I suppose," she grumbled, "But I want you to tell me tonight."

"Tonight," I agreed, "After your massive brain had time to work on it."

She shifted a bit closer, leaning against my side, "...Missed you."

I nosed softly at her ear, "Missed you too, Sparks," I said with a smile.

"What about me?" Sunset teased and slipped in beneath my other wing, side against mine.

Smiling, I turned my head to give her a soft kiss, "You too, Sunny. I missed you two... so much," I said and slipped my other wing across Twilight's back, "I could never do anything like this without you two."

Even as I said it, I felt a tension I had not even realized was there flow out of me.

I had missed them.

More than I had realized.

###########

I slowly blinked my eyes open. It was early evening, the last of the suns rays shining across the room.

We must have forgotten to put up the darkness bubble over the bed.

I couldn't hear Sunset anywhere, but Twilight was laying on the bed, facing me. Mane a bit mussed up, a pillow hugged to her chest, slightly curled up on her side.

"Evening," she murmured quietly with a small smile, eyes half open and sleepy.

"Evening," I answered as I watched her, "Sleep well?"

She let go off her pillow and slowly stretched, something I always found very interesting to watch. She rolled onto her stomach in a full body stretch, wings rising high before she relaxed again, wings folding back down and she shifted back onto her side, nose almost against mine, "The best."

"Oh?"

"Mmm. Missed our bed," she admitted, "The one at the hotel was too soft I think. It was nice enough, but..."

"Not yours."

That got a smile and her nose touched mine for a second, "Not mine."

"Sunny up already?"

Sparks smiled and scooted closer, I reached out to pull her close with my forelegs as she nuzzled in beneath my chin, "Bathroom. And said she'd find us some breakfast."

Sighing softly, I held her close, burying my nose in her mane and closing my eyes.

We didn't move until there was the sound of the door opening, hoofsteps I recognized very well. They paused for several long seconds before the bed wobbled slightly.

I opened one eye to look at Sunset as she laid down across from Twilight, a smile on her lips as she watched us, a wooden tray floating in her magic.

"What?" I asked with a smile of my own.

Sunset smile turned into a grin, "Oh, just trying to remember what the name of that artist we saw in the Manehattan Royal Gallery was. Was thinking of hiring her to take your portrait like this."

Twilight let out a small groan of protest but started to move again, rolling onto her back and reaching up to pull Sunset close for a small kiss, "Evening."

"Evening sleepyhead," Sunset answered after the kiss before leaning across and giving me one in turn, "And you too, wingboy."

I smirked, "Didn't call me boy last morning."

The inside of her ears turned a bit red, "No I didn't," she answered with a grin before pulling back and setting the tray down, "Mixed diced fruits, sandwiches and orange juice."

"Love you," Sparks said and rolled over onto her stomach.

"What she said," I happily agreed and did the same.

"I also ran into Flower," Sunset told me, "I canceled everything you had scheduled for tonight."

I picked a bit of mango from the tray with my magic as I couldn't help but smile, "This evening is getting better and better!"

"Abstract Contrast."

"Huh?" I asked, looking at Twilight, "What's that?"

She smiled and looked to Sunset, "That artist you liked."

"Oh yeah," Sunset agreed and then looked at me, "I was thinking of buying one of her paintings actually, but even with magic preserving it really wouldn't have survived this climate for long."

"I think you would have liked them too," Twilight said to me as she picked up a sandwich in her magic, "She painted night scenes, but used shadows to create another scene in the first depending on how you looked at it."

Huh.

"Sounds neat."

Twilight nodded and then eyed me, "...Alright, I have been patient. Spill. What's your plan with the Kirin?"

"I'll give you a hint," I said, "We have another problem too. Fluttershy brought it to my attention that the prey animals are starting to smarten up. The large ones are slowly starting to avoid this area. In a couple of years we'll likely be at a deficit for even our current bat population."

Twilight frowned as she considered the problem.

Sunset eyed her sandwich in her magic before she raised an eyebrow at me with a smirk, "Eat the Kirin?"

I groaned and facehooved, "No, we're not eating the Kirin!"

That got a small laugh from both of them before Twilight shook her head, "Alright, I give up. What's your plan?"

"Branch village," I explained as I chewed on half a strawberry, "Set up a fishing village out by the coast, by the inlet of the river. Set up a shield dome and build a small port."

Twilight slowly nodded, "A trading outpost too," she said softly, "Goods could be unloaded there and then shipped into Nocturnis on much smaller boats that can handle the river."

"It's a several day long trip," I said, "Not practical to do for every ship individually, but if they can unload there and then be off again, suddenly it's practical."

Sunset looked thoughtful, "even if the Kirin don't want it, we should do that anyway."

"Exactly my thoughts," I agreed with a smile, "And it has another big pro for the Kirin."

"Which is?"

"It will mean a lot of ponies coming through," I said, "But slowly, get them used to non-Kirin. And, in addition, a lot of new blood, both in contact with Nocturnis and the rest of Equestria."

"That'll help their population numbers in the long term,' Twilight mused as she nibbled on her... daisy sandwhich I think. How did the chef even get hold of daisies?

I nodded, "That's my long term hope at least," I admitted, "What do you think?"

"I think you're way smarter than you think," Twilight said with a smile, shifting to lean against my side and wiggling a bit to put my wing across her back.

Sunset smiled and scooted close to Twilight in turn, "I think it's a good idea," she agreed.

We did eventually get moving, but by then it was well after midnight.

Comments

[Okie Brony]

🎶Reunited, and it feels so good!🎶
Adorable chapter is adorable.

Sparks sighed and poked me with her wing, "Nocturnis still where we left it?"

🦇Nope, we moved it six inches to the left.

Sunset eyed her sandwich in her magic before she raised an eyebrow at me with a smirk, "Eat the Kirin?"

Soylent Green is ponies!!

---

And then they boned. Nice.
camo.fimfiction.net/D7nsHdGXlljO-cQL5TX9rWGO_Bel8dwLNPe246OqLl0?url=https%3A%2F%2Fc.tenor.com%2FuhlSWWR1tnkAAAAC%2Ftenor.gif

"First" two chapters in a row. Sweet.

[Silent Wing]

"I also ran into Flower," Sunset told me, "I canceled everything you had scheduled for tonight."

Page: Oh, why that?

Sunset and Sparks jumping the baticorn before it can respond. They weren't seen for another 2 days.

[Black--Soul]

I groaned and facehooved, "No, we're not eating the Kirin!"

Pretty sure they do it, just the fun way

Pretty sure the spear training started prematurely

In one of my stories I have Kirin and Bicorn and more... what makes me wonder if there are other non pony hybrids. Only Griffon and Hypogriffon come to mind.

Do ponies and other species use body parts of other for practical use? For example a volunteered unicorn horn after death could be a enchantment tool, a Kirin scales a firearmor for firefighters, Manticore poison diluted a muscle relaxing medication, a Hypogriffon Seapony form body oil as help for high moisture environments for not jungle adapted species.
Minatour milk is probably very nutritional, Pegasus and Griffon feathers would make great pillow fillings, Earthpony tail hair combined into great sturdy rope, perhaps the mane of a Kirin could be used as emergency blanket in winter? How about Yak fur coat winter gear? Maybe Griffon talons that got overgrown, worked to make ornaments?

[Black--Soul]

We need a Kirin Alicorn stallion, while genetic variation is a problem, it is still better than them dying out one way or another

About the Griffon trading route that is blocked by sand dunes in the River... maybe Celestia and Luna can hire a big and strong Dragon to claw it out deep enough? If they can dig for rare gems in stoned areas, why would they be unable to dig a river deeper?
The waterflow even helps with transportation of the sand, earth and other stuff.

[Black--Soul]

11889272
Thanks for the reading recommendation
Reminds me of other stories like 'Mood Wings' or stories that make Pegasus mate in the air
I think I remember there was a story where Changelings could not mate with one another, but them mating with other species always resulted in a Changeling variation of another. Example:

Changeling x Zebra = Changelings with stripes.
Changeling x Griffon = Hippogriffon, no Seapony but Changeling alternative form.
Changeling x Minotaur = Satyr
Changeling x Yeti = Human
[just kidding with that one]

[windy_prance]

I smiled, "Kirin," I said and sighed, "Their leader and a small group are in Nocturnis right now."

MEANWHILE WITH THE KIRIN...

Rain Shine: Hmm. An entire building made just for ponies to bathe? How interes--oh? Hello there?

Midnight: Oh hello Eris. Shouldn't you be with your mother? Umm Eris???

Eris:

Fluttershy: *rushes over and clamps her child's mouth shut* I'm SO SO sorry for any words that came out of Eris's mouth!

Midnight: No she didn't say anythin--

Eris: *struggles free* You're even BETTER than the last weird pony! You're super horny on the OUTSIDE!

Fluttershy: ERIS NOOOOO!

Midnight:

Rain Shine: : WAIT umm I'm not tha--well...I thought I was being subtle about it! *internally panicking over a foal noticing her longing stares towards Midnight*

[Black--Soul]

11889394
I ship it 👍

But it's going to be comedian gold for sure:

[LordMentat]

And there is the gateway to the Hippogriffs!

[FoxyLove]

11889394
*Cadence watches the scene play out in her crystal ball and smiles*

Cadence: And so it seems we have some potential with Rain Shine and Midnight hmm? *Looks at her charts* I do see some things working to help add her to Midnight's herd. But Discord, you may have to slightly rein in your daughter. While she is a great help, at this critical stage she is more in line to help out your cousin Murphy!

*Sgt Murphy then pops his head out of a portal*

Sgt Murphy: HEY!!! I'll let you know that lil' filly helps me out with my Chaos with expert timing. But if you want me stop I can play and help out with Flurry...

Cadence: NO!!!!! Get out of here NOW MURPHY!!!!

*Cadence slumps into her forelegs and sighs*

Cadence: Why can't I ship ponies in some peace, and for them to except it.

[Black--Soul]

We need more hugs in general:

[shadow wolf1573]

Nice

[Black--Soul]

11889664
camo.fimfiction.net/3AZvSIGf-xEyt8-7KHoJfaMzT4phoEjizoUnrCESHdA?url=https%3A%2F%2Fderpicdn.net%2Fimg%2F2013%2F5%2F8%2F319497%2Ffull.png

[Delathen]

Tales From Before - One Half of the Story

===

"Teacher, what does 'annihilated' mean?" An inquisitive little unicorn asked.

Neighsay blinked, taken aback. While visiting schools was a part of his duty he didn't always enjoy, he did look forward to the Reading Times he was able to sit in on. Many good little fillies and colts reading good books, asking good questions.

Except... what on earth was that young colt reading, to come across such a word in an Equestrian primary school?

"Could you read the sentence it is in..."

"Bright Flash" the youngster's actual teacher provided.

"Bright Flash?"

"Sure! 'In one brilliant pulse of light, the Death Island annihilated Aldermane, throwing up several stones that were all that remained of the large city.'" Bright Flash beamed, proud that he was able to pronounce all the big words, at just 9 years of age!

Neighsay gaped. What drivel... No. No, this was a young colt, the future of Equestria, and while he didn't like the direction of such a story, he wouldn't stifle the poor lad's education.

"Annihilate is a word that means to destroy, to break into pieces, or to very much ruin something." Neighsay answered concisely and directly, as was his wont. "Out of curiosity, what is the name of the book you are reading?"

"Oh, it's A New Hope, by Blank Page! It's my new favorite!" Bright Flash happily replied.

Blank Page? Neighsay couldn't place his name on the accredited educational authors list, and to write such a dreadful sounding tale... He made a small note on his pad, and moved on to the rest of his tour of Manehatten District 25.

​===

The Nightmare Moon turning out to not just be an old story had shaken Neighsay. A night without a day... such celestial phenomena were unheard of! To hear the papers and what little official notes his department received, the Nightmare was indeed the fabled Princess Luna, and even more miraculously, the ancient Elements of Harmony had chosen new bearers! Who then used the great relics to cleanse the Nightmare from the Princess!

​Neighsay was skeptical. It seemed a little too perfect. A 1000 year old menace returns, only to be defeated by 1000 year old myths? Preposterous.

But he could not deny the Princess's failure to raise the sun, nor that there was a new Alicorn in the Throne Room that Princess Celestia acknowledged as a co-ruler.

===

"I say, haven't you heard the rumors, Neighsay!" Lord Bubblewater proclaimed.

"I can't say I tend to keep up on gossip, your lordship" Neighsay glibly drawled. "Most of it is inaccurate, and when it is true, tends to not be of momentous occasion."

"Well turn your ears out for this one, fine chap! It seems our newest Diarch has found herself something of a paramour!" Bubblewater jovially clapped.

That got Neighsay's attention. He made a habit of gathering what knowledge he could of the elusive 'Princess' Luna. Only awake during the night as a balance to Celestia's Day? Ha!

"Oh, do go on, Lord Bubblewater. What manner of noble pony would set eyes upon royalty?" Neighsay asked.

"My no, no noble there! An author, brown unicorn that goes by Blank Page, has been seen attending to the Princess's chambers every few days. Always seems to have that good hint of a grin too, if you catch my meaning!" Bubblewater grinned with a wink to close what, for such a gathering, was a ribald statement.

​Blank Page... Blank Page... Neighsay confessed that he drew a blank on the name.

"Oh? I know most contemporary authors. What does this Blank Page write?"

At that Lady Fleur de Lis piped in, "You mean you haven't read it yet? He's the author of A New Hope! You know, only the best selling fantasy story this year!"

Oh. Neighsay blinked. That's where he'd heard the name before.

"That dreadful dreck? My lady, such a silly tale is surely below your station," came Neighsay's slightly judgemental reply.

"Not at all! It's a little scary, yes, but it's a good story! Good characters, and Good triumphs over Evil in all the good ways to make you happy to be alive in this time! Why, can't you tell that we're living in a new age of Heroes!" Fleur de Lis gushed.

Neighsay was affronted, "What silliness is this? An age of heroes? What heroes? What plight? Our fair nation is much as it's always been. Clean and happy, and other than that dreadful Discord incident, all is well!"

Fleur took a pace off from Neighsay, taken aback by this sudden vehemence. "I mean, we had Nightmare Moon and Discord in the same year, with the Elements of Harmony saving us both times. Isn't that pretty heroic? Isn't that pretty full of dangers?"

Neighsay scoffed.

===

​NEW HERALD the newspaper headline blared.

Neighsay looked at the picture of a slightly annoyed looking unicorn wearing a Herald Medallion, something not seen for nigh on three hundred years... a Herald Medallion with an imprint of the Moon, rather than the Sun.

So this was Blank Page.

Neighsay didn't like him on sight.

===

"Come on, chancellor, there's no time!" Red Quill, his secretary shouted. "The Guard say that the centaur is less than an hour away!"

"Just a moment, silly mare. I won't leave census records behind. We're going to need to know who everyone is and where they came from!"

"Forget them! If there's no more Canterlot, there's no more papers to care about!"

Neighsay gritted his teeth.

===

Neighsay gritted his teeth. HEROIC BLANK PAGE DEFEATS TIREK, SAVES EQUESTRIA! read the new headlines.

The picture was of the Throne Room, a place Neighsay was passing familiar with... with a new addition. A massive crater, the site of a magical nexus of unbelievable power.

Neighsay could read between the lines well enough. This odd nobody, appears from nowhere, courts and secures the affections of an Alicorn that also appeared from nowhere, both of whom had wheedled their way into the Princess's good graces... was Tirek even a real threat? Or was he just a stage show, some homunculus of frightening power that this Page had conjured up in a bid to secure more power?

===

"Teacher, what does 'he did her like a two bi-'"

"Glitterwing!" the colt's actual teacher cut him off. "Where did you learn such language!"

Neighsay really wanted to know that too. That sounded like the sort of book that never should have found it's way into a school library.

"It's in Lord Blank Page's newest book! 'The Spy that Loved Me!'"

Neighsay's eye ticked. It had started doing that whenever he got annoyed of late. He never associated it with when he thought of Blank Page, but he did associate Blank Page with annoyance.

===

Blank Page was an Alicorn.

Might always have been, with as talented with Illusionary magic as he was purported to be.

Neighsay's eye twitched.

That was two Alicorns popping up out of nowhere. Twilight Sparkle he could understand; he'd personally taught a few of her lessons in Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. If any mortal could achieve Alicornhood, that filly could. Princess Cadence was one that he took on Princess Celestia's good word. Besides which, she was a lovely hostess, the one time he had met her when discussing education reform for the Crystal Empire.

What's more, most of his circle of acquaintances seemed to react to the news with acceptance, even approval!

"But of course Blank Page is an Alicorn. The stallion is too talented to be otherwise!" Fancy Pants had proclaimed at the get together he had attended after Princess Celestia's royal announcement.

"My, but we seem to be all but falling over our long-lived Royalty," Neighsay had retorted. "How many more do you suppose will fall from the sky this year?"

===

Neighsay wished he could have shut his fool mouth for just one moment. Another Princess Twilight? That came from a summoning circle that Discord, that odious blight to his orderly world, had created?

He wasn't even surprised to read in the official report that Lord Bubblewater had let him take a glimpse at that Blank Page was involved, if not at the center of it.

His eye twitched twice.

===

Blank Page was a Vampony. A Celestia-cursed, mythical monstrous Vampony. In the wake of the Storm King's invasion, the final blow of the not-war was struck inside the very Castle itself, with Blank Page being thrown into a wall by a blast of Princess Celestia's cleansing fire, revealing the sham for what he was the entire time.

And nopony believed him. Nopony seemed to entertain for even a moment that 'Blank Page,' or whatever the creature's true name was, was anything other than a mildly unpopular member of the Nobility.

Neighsay had gone beyond eye twitches and gritted teeth. His face was contorted into a rictus of hate.

===

He finally did it. Half a year of petitions, half a year of scraping favors, trading in influence, spreading rumors, even buying newspaper spots, but he had finally pulled enough compatriots in the Nobility and Bureaucracy to oust the pretender from his official roles. It wouldn't be enough to drive the stake through his heart, not yet, but it should cut off some of his shadowy tendrils from further corrupting the Kingdom.

He prepared himself for his Day In Court. His best cloak, perfectly pressed. His mane, brushed to perfection and impeccably groomed. His arguments, double and triple-checked, the names of other nobles to call upon on the tip of his tongue.

Neighsay would not leave this day empty-hoofed.

===

Neighsay left this day empty-hoofed.

The blasted Demon had worked his magic to convince Celestia to Crown him! Him! A blood drinking demon of the night, a Vampony with the magical might of a powerful unicorn! Was now on the very short list of ponies that could make rulings that would stand any and all legal judgment.

Neighsay felt a tooth crack. It was the third this month.

===

He was ready. It had taken years, years of practice, of study, of learning the habits of his target and what might work. He couldn't perform fire magic to the level of the Princess when she had temporarily shaken the demon's grip on her, but based on the broken bones in the medical report he had stolen a copy of, the demon was still susceptible to physical harm.

Lord Bubblewater had been such a kind unwitting fool when he had mentioned that anypony could take guard training classes, and that one could even learn how to use Guard weapons in them. Such as the sword, the spear... and the crossbow. The old fool was always blubbering on like that, dropping those little useful tidbits without even knowing what they could mean to a pony like Neighsay.

The demon was in Canterlot, after a long retreat with the Princess to renew his hold on her. Twice now, he'd taken the same route through town on some errand.

As Neighsay slowly prepped his crossbow, his target walked calmly into sight. Two vamponies flanked it. Disgusting. Yet more reason to stop it, before it could spread it's infection further.

Neighsay took careful aim.

====
====
====

This was the first omake I had wanted to write for the Blank Page verse. For the two small glimpses we get of him, Neighsay is a major influence behind the scenes. It's not hard to see Hiver using him as a good focal point for Noble discontent at Page, and his defeat is certainly part of the turning point where the nobility stop making overt actions against Page.

I've had the misfortune of knowing a number of conspiracy theorists that have been carefully taught, by media and other influences, to just never accept an event at face value. There must always be a shadowy "them" doing "bad stuff," with every tragedy being just another facet of the Grand Conspiracy To Ruin Their World.

Neighsay strikes me as one of the more erudite versions of such a being. His line of logic starts somewhat sound - Equestria, as of the FiM storyline, is coming off a very long period of peace, and the events of the show and of Hiver's story are quite nation-shakingly big. It's easy to look for sense in a suddenly hard-to-understand world, and easy to jump to the wrong conclusions.

Page being fairly anti-social and standoffish to noble gatherings, where people like Neighsay could have got to know his character and learn that he's a mostly harmless dork, didn't help his case, for all that it was true to who he was and what he valued at the time.

That's not to say that Neighsay could have ever really been swayed; the character is rather rigid and conservative, and just the wrong side of proactive to ever take any perceived threat to the stability of his worldview lying down.

I really, really love your Page-verse, Hiver. It's so much fun trying to brew these!