//------------------------------//
// Chapter 106 
// Story: Repercussions 
// by Hiver 
//------------------------------//

I know Fluttershy had talked about the scents, but what hit me the strongest was the heartbeats. Even as I laid on the couch and waited, wearing a suppression ring and hoof cuffs, I could hear them clearly, clear across the room.

Midnight, Sparks, Iron Shine.

I could even make out the two guards standing outside the door and the three ponies on the top floor above ours. All other sounds were clearer too, but the heartbeats just cut through it all.

"Try it again," Sparks said encouragely to Fluttershy.

The pink and yellow thestral nodded and half closed her eyes in focus before she raised and shook her head slightly like she always did when applying her pegasus illusion.

Absolutely nothing happened.

"It may have been part of the blood magic," I suggested from across the room, "with that broken, everything that came with it went away too."

Which made sense. What's better than a super soldier? A super soldier can make himself look like the enemy, of course.

Fluttershy took a quick step back and looked at me in distress, "B-but... then I can't... everypony will..."

Sparks stepped forward and pulled the panicing batpony into a hug. Midnight moved over to me, "She's right, you know," she said softly, "If thestrals can't hide after this... it might cause more trouble than it's worth."

"The buck it isn't," I whispered back, trying my best to ignore her scent, "This can save the entire tribe!"

Midnight frowned at me, "How do you mean?"

"Let's discuss it after you stop smelling delicious,” I told her honestly. 

She blinked at me before she took half a step back, "...Okay, fair point. We should be able to cast the spell in another hour or so, just... hang on until then."

"Hanging on," I confirmed.

...Perhaps eating before should have been part of the plan though, even if they thought that the second part would make me throw up.

Being hungry was definitely not the right play for this. I sniffed the air. Everypony smelled so… tasty. In more ways than one. 

I licked my lips.

I glanced towards the door. I also really hoped we could get this done before Sunset decided to stop by and see how things are going, both for my and Sparks' safety. She is not going to be happy about this, but it'll be easier for everypony if it's done before she finds out.

...To be completely honest, if she or Luna show up right now, I’m hiding behind this couch. Especially with my hearing being this good.

I closed my eyes and breathed slowly and deeply, leaning against the backrest of the couch as I tried to not think about how nice everypony smelled.

So this is what it was like being a thestral back then… if it was in the middle of a war between tribes, I could see the temptation.

That must have been why he did it… or was it just a play for power, to us them to take over Equestria with the thestrals as his tools?

Had he even been one or just used an illusion over himself to influence them to his side?

And then everypony else had to spend how many thousands of years cleaning up his fucking mess.

Wonder what happened to him? Likely dead or somepony would have spotted him by now. Too bad really, would have been great if he survived until now, that’d mean I could find him and buck his teeth into his throat for everything he’s done.

He was worse than Discord.

Discord at least wasn’t actively malicious anymore, just a fucking idiot.


XXXXXXXXXXXX


I slowly and carefully stepped into the circle before I stopped and rubbed my ankles a little where the hoofcuffs had been.

“We should likely remove the ring too,” Midnight said from across the circle, “Don’t want it interfering.”

“I have control of myself, I’m not going to try escaping,” I said and rolled my eyes. No matter how tasty you smell.

Or how hungry I was.

That impulse on it’s own was more than a bit disturbing so I ruthlessly stomped it under hoof as Sparks nodded and lit her horn, lifting the suppression ring from my horn and put it to the side on a table.

I hate wearing those and I felt a full body shiver when it came off. Well… I suppose there was that one time…

The magic slammed into me and drove the air from my lungs as it lifted me into the air. I didn’t scream.

I’d like to say that was because I was too stoic or something as they ripped my magic appart, but you need air to scream.

And I didn’t have any.

It felt like it lasted forever, being turned inside out before I thankfully blacked out.