//------------------------------// // Chapter 96 // Story: Repercussions // by Hiver //------------------------------// “Are you certain of this, Fluttershy?” I asked her quietly, “You don’t need to.” The thestral hesitated, her hoof scraping against the stone floor as she hid behind her mane a bit as her wings shifted. She finally nodded, “I-I’m sure,” she finally said, softly but firmly as she raised her head to meet my eyes, “Twilight told me what you are trying to do. I don’t k-know anything about politics or magic or anything. B-but I can do this.” I frowned at her and shook my head, “Fluttershy, you… you understand that they might not be able to reverse it if they break the curse. If they can’t also work through the blood magic… Fluttershy, you may be stuck as a vampony.” Fluttershy swallowed but then nodded firmly, “I know.” “...I wish I could do this instead,” I sighed. She nodded again and shook her head, spreading her wings, “I’m… I’m just… I’m glad one of my friends knows,” she said quietly, “I should have known Twilight would f-figure it out.” “She is scary smart,” I agreed with a nod and sighed, “If you’re sure. We have made every precaution we could think of to make this as safe as possible for everypony.” Fluttershy swallowed and took a deep breath, “S-she is the smartest pony I know,” she admitted and then smiled shyly, “S-so I don’t doubt s-she and Midnight can figure it out.” I hoped so. I really really hoped so. Or I would need to make another deal with Discord to fix this and I’m not sure I wanted to know what the price for such a deal would be. I nodded, “If anypony can, it’s those two,” I told her seriously and then bowed to her, “Thestrals everywhere are in your debt for this.” Fluttershy blushed and shook her head, “I-it’s alright.” Standing up straight again, I stretched my wings for a second, “Are you ready?” She swallowed deeply and then nodded and I led her down the dark stone corridor towards the cell at the end. The warded cell with heavy iron bars. We had taken over an unused wing of the canterlot prison for this. Because if something went wrong, if she got crazy with bloodlust or something, we had to keep her contained. Fluttershy entered the cell with Twilight and Midnight. Twilight looked at her, a worried look on her face, “Are you sure about this?” Fluttershy stepped up and hugged her tightly, “I trust you,” she said softly before stepping back and hugging Midnight too, “Both of you.” Then she stepped over and reached down and picked up the thick metal collar and sat down, holding the heavy chain to her neck. Twilight moved up and gave her another long hug before locking it in place and stepping back, glancing to Midnight, “This feels wrong.” “I know what you mean,” Midnight agreed before leading her time-split sister out of the cage, closing the door behind them, locking it solidly, “But we have been through the spell backwards and forwards. We’ll get this done and then we’ll get on cracking the blood magic.” Twilight shook her head, “Not… not that. Just…” she said and lowered her voice, “Seeing Fluttershy locked away like that.” “It’s not for long,” I said gently, “A day or two at most until we’re sure none of this is going to get anypony hurt and that she can handle any hungers.” Twilight nodded and swallowed, “Okay,” she said and looked to me and then Midnight, “Let’s do this. Fluttershy? Ready?” “R-ready,” Fluttershy agreed and turned to face us. She stood up straight, but her ears was to the side and she was trembling. I took several steps back from the two mages as I felt magic starting to stir around the two elements of magic. Here we go. Right. Wrong. Here we are. It must be done. Twilight's horn lit up a second before Midnights and then the spell blasted out towards Fluttershy in dual beams of pink and purple magic shot out towards her. She shied back and squealed as the magic slammed into her, coursing through her body for a second, seemingly struggling against the magic before it exploded outwards. I took a step back, I could feel the magic pressing in against me before dissipating into nothing. I shook myself, blinking before I looked into the cell. Fluttershy laid panting on the stone floor otherwise she wasn’t moving. “Sparks?” I asked quietly, “Did anything go wrong?” She shook her head, “It went as we planned,” she answered and spared me a glance before her magic scanned across the thestral, “I’m not reading the curse. You?” she then asked Midnight. Midnight shook her head, “It’s gone, but I’m not getting a good reading of the blood magic, we need to wait for the thaumic interference to dissipate.” Sparks stepped closer to the bars, “Fluttershy? Fluttershy, can you hear me? Are you alright?” Fluttershy slowly stirred. She blinked slightly and struggled up to sit, her ears flicked, “I-I… I feel… strange,” she admitted and swallowed before she looked over towards us, “I-I… I can hear your heartbeats.” Oh. Oh dear. Twilight swallowed, “Do you feel any sudden impulses to… uhm… eat somepony?” Fluttershy shook her head, “I-I don’t think so;” she said and looked at us, “But… you all smell so good…” That’s… uhm… that’s not a good sign.