//------------------------------//
// Chapter 100 
// Story: Repercussions 
// by Hiver 
//------------------------------//

"I heard what happened," Sunset said and moved to meet me as I walked inside, "Why didn't you tell me!?"

"You have enough on your mind right now," I said and hugged her briefly, "Besides, nothing you could have done anyway... and we have a plan."

"Plan? What kind of plan?" Sunset asked, giving me a wary look.

"You are now looking at the proud owner of the one piece of Equestria with the climate most comfortable for thestrals," I told her, "I’m thinking summer home. Or winter. Sure, Sunshine could just have handed some of it over, but this way we're being all legal like. And all it cost was a couple of titles… and earning me a new one."

Sunset looked at me before she facehooved before stepping up and giving me a small nuzzle, "Stupid noble stallion."

"Ah-ah!" I said with a grin, "You can't call me that anymore. I’m officially royalty now, not nobility.”

Sunset snorted and stepped back to curtsy elegantly, "Oh forgive me for my slipup, my Prince."

"You are so lucky you are hot," I told her flatly and then shook my head, "How's Sparks and Midnight doing?"

Sunset shrugged, "I don't know, they're arguing about something, but they managed to lose me about three hours ago so I can't give any details."

"Okay," I said and sighed, "Well, we can't leave Fluttershy down in that cell any longer, I don't think she's going to eat somepony, so we might as well let her out."

"Way ahead of you," Sunset said with a smile, "Midnight sent me down to get her this morning while you were away. She's currently sleeping in Spike's room. Apparently the entire nocturnal thing is even stronger now."

"Oh, That's good," I said and sighed, slipping my wing around her, giving her a small nuzzle before resting my horn against hers, "Where are the Spikes anyway? Still in Ponyville?"

"Yeah," Sunset said, "Twi and Midnight thought it was better to keep them out of this so they are staying with the Apples until things have calmed down a bit."

I nodded and then frowned, "Wait, does the other girls know about Fluttershy now?"

Sunset shrugged, "Don't know," she admitted, "Don't think so. Twi didn't want to tell them as it wasn't our secret to tell, so unless Fluttershy has, they likely don't know."

"Well, hope that doesn't backfire," I said and flicked my ear, "She can still illusion, right?"

Sunset nodded, "Did on the way here anyway."

"Good," I agreed.

Sunset looked at me and frowned, "So... what will you do with a monster infested jungle?”

"We’ll see," I admitted, "But... I may also have some selfish ideas."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, if I own the land and the jungle, then I own everything in it," I said before I smirked, "Including that fucking statue. Which means if I own it, I can legally smash it to little bitty pieces."

"Don't you dare!"

The voice drifted in from the other room and Sparks poked her head out, "That statue is of great historical value!"

"It's a statue of the pony that caused all the trouble we have now!" I argued, "I'd be damned if that fucking thing is put in a museum somewhere and glorified! It will be dust!"

"It needs to be studied!" Sparks argued and entered the room, Midnight following closely,

"She's right," Midnight agreed, "just because you don't like the pony it's off, doesn't mean it doesn't have historical value. I'm not saying 'put it up in the main square', put it in a museum where ponies can learn of history and it can be studied!"

"...Fine," I grumbled, "You can have it. If you can get it out of there, I don't want it hanging around in my jungle. In fact, if you want the entire temple, you can take that too. How are we coming with the 'not monsters' plan?"

Sparks shrugged her wings and moved in to give Sunset a small kiss. I got a nuzzle too on the way past, "Well," she started, "The one that invented it was a complete genius. It's amazingly complex, self reinforcing and built into the bloodline, being passed on to every foal."

"So it was the curse that was laid over it that caused thestrals to have less thestral foals?" I asked and sat down.

Midnight nodded in agreement, "As far as we can determine. The blood magic is a lot stronger now without the curse suppressing it.”

I nodded and sat down, “How long until you can break it?”

Sparks and Midnight shared a look before Midnight shrugged her wings, “It’s difficult, I see why they went with the curse instead of trying to break the blood magic. More data would help from more thestrals.”

“Okay,” I said, “With Fluttershy’s data to compare with, mine would be useful now, right? Hit me.”

“No!” Sunset said and stepped between me and Midnight, glaring at me, “Absolutely not!”

I frowned at her, “Sunny, I’m not going to ask more ponies to-”

Sunset stomped her hoof as she interrupted me, “No! Absolutely not! You have done enough, you’re not doing this! I won’t have it and neither will Luna!”

I frowned at her, “Sunny, I can’t ask ponies to do that if I won’t do-”

“No! Not until it’s done and they can break it fully. You’re not doing it and that’s it,” she said and then looked to Sparks and Midnight, “And you’re not casting it on him, is that clear?”

Sparks quickly nodded, “Wasn’t going to anyway. While the data would help, it’s only for comparison. We need more pure thestrals, not thestral alicorns.”

Fucking damn it.

I sighed and closed my eyes for a long moment before I nodded, “I… I’ll ask for volunteers. But we can’t do this in Canterlot, it’ll cause problems eventually. We have to find somewhere else to work from.”