Shit! Shit! Shit!

Thinking fast, I cast an illusion of myself on the throne. Not enough time to teleport!

The door swung open to reveal Princess Celestia and a pair of guards entering the throneroom.

Celestia paused when she spotted my illusion, “Page.”

“Princess Celestia,” I said and stretched my wings, the illusion lounging across the throne as I stuck as close to the pillar as I could, trying to keep my breathing under control.

She sighed and flicked her ears, “It seems like you win,” she finally said, “You used your guards as a distraction to get inside.”

“Goal never was to defeat you or your guards, Princess. Just to get me on the throne.”

“How did you get past the guards?” Celestia asked as she slowly approached, “Everywhere were watched and guarded.”

My illusion shrugged his wings and jumped off the throne, “Wasn’t that difficult, one second, I’ll show you,” it said and headed for the pillar, “I have it in my satchel.”

Casting another quick illusion to make a copy of my satchel. As the illusion moved out of view of them, I cancelled it and trotted out the other side of the pillar, seemingly digging through the illusionary bag, “I have it here somewhere,” I said as I moved towards the throne.

Come on.

Just buy it for another twenty seconds. I just need to get my arse onto that chair and I have…

A sunlight yellow glow covered me and pulled me into the air, floating me over to the larger alicorn.

She looked tired, if slightly amused.

“Page,” she said as she sat down on the carpet.

“…Celestia,” I answered. Damn. I should have risked a teleport instead of the illusion. Damn it., “When did you figure it out?”

“When you returned towards the throne instead of heading to me me,” she said and reached out to tap my nose with her hoof and a smile, “Boop. Gotcha.”

Oh crud.

“…You win,” I admitted and relaxed in her magic, “That was fun.”

Celestia flicked her ears and put me back down, “You are an infuriating opponent, Page.”

“Only real chance we had,” I admitted and shrugged my wings as I glanced around. Teleport to throne?

No, was too late already. I had admitted defeat, she won.

“How did my Legion do?” I asked as I got up, “In the distraction?”

Celestia smiled, “They did very well. Sunset Shimmer especially so, you have trained her well, Page.”

“We are about as good, we practice together,” I said and folded my wings again, “Luna teach me anything I know, I pass it on to Sunset. We practice until we have it down.”

Celestia nodded, “I can see both my sister and the old War Mages in how both of you do combat.”

I smirked at her, “We should try some one on one. I’m curious how you measure up compared to Luna.”

“Oh, we are completely different, but I think I’m better,” Sunshine countered with a smile, “But I think that it’d be fun. I would offer tonight, but I’m rather tired. I think somepony may owe me some nice dreams too?” she then added.

I nodded and flicked my ears, “…Yeah, fair enough. Nice dreams for you and your guard for the rest of the week.”

She smiled and got up, “As soon as my sun is down, I’m going to bed. You should head down to the guard barracks and gather up your guard,” she said, “They are being kept under guard there until you were found and captured.”

“Better go let them out then,” I said with a nod, “Then I’ll take them all to the Pathfinder. After all of this, they deserve it.”

They did a damn good job. I was the one that bucked it up at the end, that wasn’t on them.

“Come see me tomorrow, Page,” Celestia added, “We have some matters to discuss.”

I did my best to hide my cringe, but apparently not well enough as she smiled and head out of the throneroom, leaving me with the guards.

They didn’t look overly happy with me.

“Uhm… you heard the part about all nice dreams all week, right?” I said and shifted a bit backwards.

“…Yes, sir,” the one on the left finally said and sighed, “If you come with us, sir?”

Nodding, I trotted along.

All that was for nothing I suppose. Well, not nothing. I clearly did reveal some weaknesses in the defences. But the fact that Sunshine won were kind of sour to be honest.

I had been so close!

Damn it.

Next Chapter: Chapter 17 Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 44 Minutes