The sound of my hooves seemed to echo through the hallway as I made my way through the castle. It was afternoon... or early morning for me... and ponies were moving all over the place on their duties. Guards, castle admin staff, even a few maids could be seen.

I tried not to get in any of their way, but I didn't let any of them delay me from my destination.

Stopping by a pair of doors, I looked to the guards outside it, "is she in?"

"Princess Celestia is currently in a meeting, your Highness," Sergeant Clear Blade answered from the left of the door, "I believe it will be finished in a few hours."

"Hey, good news, change of schedule," I said and walked past them to push the doors open.

I really disliked doing that to them as both of them kind of twitched. Their orders were to not let anyone in, I knew that, but.. alicorn.

"...Sir," Clear Blade said and moved a bit to get in my way, "Princess Celestia is in a meeting with the representative of the tax service. I'm not to let anypony past..."

"I understand that, sergeant," I told him, "But this is something that potentially affects the lives and freedom of hundreds of ponies. Please stand aside, I am going through those doors. Guards or no guards."

He looked profoundly unhappy but didn't move, "I...I have my orders, sir," he said, "But I may ask Princess Celestia for clarification?"

My respect for him went up another couple of notches and I paused, giving him a nod, "Go."

He bowed briefly and then backed up and wrote a small note on a piece of paper before he knocked on the door and opened it a crack before slipping the note through where it was quickly grabbed by a yellow magical aura.

A few seconds later I heard Celestia's voice, "Let him in, Sergeant."

He opened the door and I moved past, giving him a nod on the way before I entered the room. I looked to the unicorn with stacks of papers laid out before him on Celestia's Desk, "Leave us."

Penny Pincher quickly turned to me, "Lord Page, I don't think you quite realize wha-" he started to say before he just kind of trailed off and swallowed before he quickly nodded, "I-I think it may be just about time to break for lunch," he said and then quickly bowed to Celestia, "W-with your permission, Princess?"

"We can continue later," she agreed and he quickly left the room. Almost fled.

Celestia quickly got up and rounded the desk as the door closed behind him, her horn flashing and the outline of the walls and doors quickly flashed, signalling a sound dampening spell, "Page, what's wrong?"

I scraped my hoof against the marble floor and shifted my wings before I looked to her, "Do you know how many bat ponies there are?"

Celestia blinked and then frowned slightly, "I don't. I know they are rare."

"I don't know either," I told her, "Could be a dozen left. A hundred. Couple of thousand. Nopony knows. Do you know why?"

She shifted her wings slightly as she frowned at me, "They can use their illusion to look like pegasi?"

"And almost every single one does," I said before I looked up at her, "Because if they don't, do you know how they are treated?"

Celestia actually flinched slightly before she sighed, "...Yes. I do."

I looked at her for a long moment, "Do you know what I did yesterday?"

Celestia nodded and slowly sank down to sit, "The same thing I did a hundred and eleven years ago."

I blinked at her in surprise, "What?"

She shook her head sadly and looked to me, "About a hundred and eleven years ago, it struck me that it was a very long time since I last saw an actual bat pony. So I did some research into the matter. I managed to find a few dozen and I talked to them. I then tried to go out in public after using a transformation spell to look like one. I... suspect my experience was similar to yours."

I stomped my hoof against the marble floor with an echoing crack, "So why didn't you do anything about it!?"

Celestia sighed sadly, "Do what, Page? There are already laws against discriminating against ponies based on their tribe... and yes, thestrals count as one. There aren't enough thestrals around to let ponies get used to seeing them every day, even with the Lunar guard. They are already protected under the law, same as everypony else."

I raised my wings, "But there has to be something!"

"What would you have me do, Page?" she said gently, "Order ponies to be kind? Do it by force? There is only so much even alicorns and princesses can do."

I looked at her for a long moment before I felt my ears droop and I sank down to sit as well, refolding my wings, "...I don't know..."

Celestia scooted a bit closer, slipping a foreleg around me along with a wing and I hugged back, leaning against her warmth.

What do we do?

Celestia gave my mane a small nuzzle, “You’re right, Page. It’s way past time that something is done. We’ll figure something out, I promise.”

“I know where we have to start,” I said against her coat, “The guard.”

Celestia tensed and then slowly shifted to look down at me, looking into my eyes, “What did they do?” she asked.

Last time I heard that tone from her, she threatened to burn the griffon ambassador alive.

I put my hoof on her chest with a small smile, “Relax, Sunshine. I just think we need to give them some clearer rules of conduct.”

Celestia frowned slightly before she nodded, “Very well.”