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Repercussions (MLP)

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Krazyfan1 said:
While usually eating large predators is a bad idea, i wonder if magic could be used to get around the downsides?

I mean, it tried to eat you first, its only fair that you return the favor...
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I mean, there's only, like, two people in the entire camp who are willing to eat meat at all, so I'm not sure that there's anything useful to be done with that much meat. The skin, on the other hand, might be useful to supplement their armor, and I'd bet the bones would be useful to help shore up the barricade.
 
Crimson Doom said:
I mean, there's only, like, two people in the entire camp who are willing to eat meat at all, so I'm not sure that there's anything useful to be done with that much meat. The skin, on the other hand, might be useful to supplement their armor, and I'd bet the bones would be useful to help shore up the barricade.
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Of course, then you run into the problem that none of the ponies would have any idea how to properly cut up animals since, ya know, they are herbivores. Also two people? Who is the second besides Page?
 
Captainwolf said:
Of course, then you run into the problem that none of the ponies would have any idea how to properly cut up animals since, ya know, they are herbivores. Also two people? Who is the second besides Page?
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Amber is a changeling and probably doesn't have the same meat taboo that ponies have. I think. I might be misremembering something.
 
Crimson Doom said:
I was under the impression that they could eat other things, it just wasn't overly nutritious for them. Like humans and Doritoes. But perhaps that was a different fanfic.
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You must be thinking of a different fanfic, because the only time in this series where it has shown changelings eating something physical is possibly when Queen Pincer of the Jungle hive got swarmed by her hive when Page turned them against her.
 
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    • The dream realm shimmered around me and I took a deep breath, stretching my wings for a long moment, rolling my neck slightly before I sighed and moved up to Sunnys dream portal.

    I touched my horn to it and then stepped through the blue silvery portal with dark streaks moving through it and the dream faded in around me, leaving me in... a classroom? Not one I recognized.

    It was full with little colts and fillies, one especially that I recognized. Sunset was sitting by one of the desks, frantically going through her bag,

    "No! No! No! It has to be here! I know I did it!" tiny little filly Sunset whimpered as she worked through her seemingly bottomless bag.

    She was absolutely adorable.

    I grinned and debated leaving it for a moment but then I decided to save her from the 'nightmare' and stomped my hoof against the wooden floor, causing the dream to solidify around us.

    Sunset blinked and looked up and around before she jumped off her chair, "Page!" she exclaimed before she stopped and looked down at herself.

    "You're adorable," I told her seriously.

    Her glare could have turned me into atoms, "Fix this!"

    I grinned at her and then tapped my hoof again and she grew to her actual age. She looked herself over and then she shook her head and trotted over to nuzzle me, "Are you okay?"

    "Of course I am," I said and nuzzled back before resting my horn against hers as I looked into her eyes.

    Sunset looked up at me for a long moment before she sighed softly, "No you're not."

    "...No, I'm not," I admitted softly, "Ponies have died. But to make it more likely that everypony else to get back home safely, I have to pretend to be."

    Sunset frowned slightly, reaching up to stroke my mane with her hoof as she sighed softly, "You shouldn't need to do that."

    "Maybe not," I answered and sat down, pulling her close to nuzzle at her ear and mane, "The same way that Midnight shouldn't need to kill monsters. Or any of the other ponies risking their lives for this. But we all do what we have to for as many as possible to get through this... and if all I can do to help is to look confident and calm, then it's what I'm going to do."

    Sunset shook her head but leaned against me, nuzzling against my neck for a second before she pulled back and looked at me, "How is your horn? And your shoulder?"

    I smiled a bit at her, "My horn is fine, it's down to a small ache. I can easily ignore it."

    "And your shoulder?" Sunset asked, "Luna said you cut it."

    "It's fine," I reassured her, "Barely broke the skin and 'cut' is pushing it in the first place. I scratched it on a rock."

    Sunset gave me a disbelieving look, "Oh yeah?"

    I shifted slightly, "...Okay, so it was a bit worse than that, but it stopped bleeding quickly, the medic says that it's healing nicely and I can put weight on my leg again. Seriously, I'm fine. If I could risk using magic, I'd be back at a hundred percent."

    "Anything else?"

    "A rexosaurus attacked the camp just after dark," I said and then held my hoof up to stop her next question, "Everypony is fine... or unhurt anyway. Midnight... objected to it attacking our camp again. Violently."

    Sunset frowned slightly, glancing down at the floor, "...How's she doing? I know what Twi would think about having to do something like that."

    "I think that that mare needs a lot of time away from things when we get back," I told her, "She's trying to hide it, but she's taking things hard. We do what we can, but I think Tempest is better for her than anypony else right now."

    She nodded and sighed, "We're five days out."

    "We'll do what we can," I reassured her and smiled, "We're fine."

    Sunset shook her head slightly before she looked up at me, "Can you show me what you found?"

    I nodded and moved up next to her, "Here," I said and put my hoof over her eyes for a second as I shifted the dream around us to the main chamber of the pyramid, lit up by flickering torches.

    Lowering my hoof, I let her see it.

    Sunset gasped and stepped forward, her jaw dropping as she slowly turned before she gaped up at the statue, "Wow."

    "Yeah," I agreed as I moved up next to her, "Not only that," I added and tapped my hoof against the floor, letting my subconscious fill in the details as lines of light traced out the images onto the walls that told the story of this place.

    Sunset slowly turned, "This is... amazing."

    "Yeah," I agreed, looking up at the statue for a second, "that's one word for it."

    Sunset looked at me and then she moved to nuzzle me beneath my chin, "Hey. None that happened is your fault."

    "Maybe not," I admitted and sighed, giving her a small kiss, "But that doesn't mean I'm not responsible. It was my expedition after all."

    Then I smiled slightly at her, "Come on, I'll show you around."
     
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    • The leaves of the jungle slowly swayed with the slight breeze as I overlooked it from the upper branches of an especially tall tree. Seriously, these things were massive, they made redwood look small.

    The sun burned brightly above, but being in the shade helped and gave me time to think.

    Three more days before the rescue ship would arrive. Since the rexosaurus attack, we had been unbothered by the local wildlife. Maybe we were in its territory and it would take time before the others noticed this area was empty now and borders would shift around.

    But for the moment, we seemed safe.

    Thank Celestia that nopony else was hurt during the attack.

    I scraped my hoof against the branch I was laying on, following the slight pattern in the barch with the edge of my hoof. This was where batponies really came from. No wonder the forest felt nice to be in, assuming you could discount the things wanting to eat us, of course.

    We knew what happened more or less. Some sort of blood magic to make thestrals stronger, faster. Blood drinkers. That much we knew at least from the carvings in the walls.

    But then what? Why did batponies change?

    It wasn't the blood magic... and Midnight now knowing what to look for, had verified it in me. Say what you want about Discord, but he don't fuck around. He didn't just make me look like a thestral, he made me one where I had once been a pegasus.

    But if it was still just as active as back then, then the question was, 'what happened?'

    Midnight suspected a second spell, a curse laid above the blood magic. Maybe an attempt to turn everypony back to the way they were before. Maybe an attempt to just remove the blood drinking.

    Maybe an outright attack to try to drive thestrals extinct.

    Did it really matter?

    I sighed and shifted my wings, extending one to look at it for a long moment. Not really. If batponies were to be accepted, we needed to tear it all down. Curse, blood magic. All of it.

    If somepony could break through all of it, it'd be Midnight or Sparks. With them working together, it wouldn't stand a chance.

    But then what? Breaking the magic was only a small part of it, the easy part even.

    Changing ponies was not something that was as easily done.

    ...Well, unless you used blood magic apparently.

    Smiling slightly at that, I shook my head and stood up on the branch, stretching for a second before I glanced behind me at where the temple rose up out of the jungle, just barely cresting between the trees.

    But we could do it. Thestrals built that thing in this monster infested hellhole before they were turned into blood drinking super ponies.

    If they could do that, they could turn public opinion. We just needed to strip away the magic shackles around our necks first.

    "See anything?" I asked Silver Light as I looked to the side to where the Pegasus was sitting in full armour. The only way Moon Glow would allow me this far away from the rest of the group.

    The white coated pegasus shook her head, her pink and braided mane shifting as she did, "No, sir. Too much green."

    I looked over to the temple again just as a flare rose high into the air and exploded in bright red sparkles. The once an hour flare that was being sent up just in case any of our missing ponies saw it.

    I wasn't exactly hopeful considering it's been over a week and I hadn't spotted any of them in the dream realm, but I wasn't about to order them to stop. Hope is a powerful thing.

    Hope is the first step on the road to disappointment.

    "Well, we might as well fly back then," I said and stretched my wings, "It was a longshot anyway."

    Had hoped we would be able to track the larger predators by the movements of the trees, but I guess the world doesn't work on Jurassic Park logic.

    Silver Light smiled and shrugged her wings, picking up her spear from where she leaned it against the tree trunk, "Could have worked."

    "Actually, might still," I said and frowned out over the forest, "Might just not be any close enough to spot. But it's likelier that they simply move without bumping into every tree in sight. Don't become the apex predator of a place like this by being clumsy."

    With that, I spread my wings and took to the air, flying back towards the temple, flying higher as I scanned the horizon in all directions.

    Spotting what I was looking for, I looked over at Silver Light and gave her a wave before pointing with my hoof.

    She glanced over and then nodded, "Going to rain soon," she shouted to me over the wind, "Been feeling like it for an hour or so."

    That was something I didn't have and don't think I ever had.

    Then again, might just be a matter of education, every pegasus in the legion, and the guard for that matter, was required to at least hold a basic weather license.

    I had thought about getting one just because it seemed interesting a couple of times, but with what time? Unless I could bribe Celestia, there was only so many hours in a day.

    We flew across the pyramid and I scanned the ground, the defenses were repaired and the remains of the rexosaurus was long gone and Midnight wouldn't let me keep a skull so she threw the entire thing off into the forest when it's magic resistance faded away.

    Likely good thing, no way Luna would let me keep it at home anyway.

    Spotting Dee, I circled down to land next to her, "Hey. How's the drawing going?"

    She put her pen down and showed me her notebook, showing the structure of the pyramid, "Mapping it," she said in explanation, "We have spent most of the morning measuring every surface."

    "Better get that done soon," I warned her, "Rains coming."

    "I can tell," she agreed with a nod, "I'm mostly done with the exterior anyway."

    ...Maybe taking the time for one of those weather courses wasn't that bad of an idea after all.
     
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    • Hiver said:
    We flew across the pyramid and I scanned the ground, the defenses were repaired and the remains of the rexosaurus was long gone and Midnight wouldn't let me keep a skull so she threw the entire thing off into the forest when it's magic resistance faded away.

    Likely good thing, no way Luna would let me keep it at home anyway.
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    Hmph. You'd think with all her reading she'd know the importance of having trophies of such victories. And yes, Luna would have let you keep it, as long as you cleaned it properly first.
     
    I feel like the problem with keeping the Rexasaurus skull at home would be that... well, it doesn't exactly discourage people from thinking of thestrals as bloodthirsty, does it?
     
    Crimson Doom said:
    Between Luna, Celestia, Twilight, Midnight, and Discord, they know more than enough people who can make reality their bitch that logistical issues like that just aren't a problem, really.
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    The last time Page asked for something from Discord he had his pegasus parts turned into thestral parts, and the request had been much better, morality-wise, than "I need space to use this big ass skull as decoration".

    I doubt that Midnight would help to have the skull of the creature she killed in the same place she regularly visits, emotional toll or not.

    Even if Twilight doesn't refuse to help, by solidarity for Midnight, I would bet she would find it so gruesome and would want nothing to do with it. Unless Page let her study the shit out of it, but then the skull wouldn't be available for decoration.

    Celestia seems to me more of a smiting type of goddess rather than a space-ex-nihilo type. And Midnight disagreeing with this would weigh on her decision as well.

    Luna... well, she is the edgy princess, so I can see her at least being willing to help Page, but unless they decide to put the skull on her pet rock (which would defeat the point of having a big ass skull as interior decoration), I don't see how she would be able to help as she runs into the same practical problems as Celestia.
     
    IvanDead said:
    The last time Page asked for something from Discord he had his pegasus parts turned into thestral parts, and the request had been much better, morality-wise, than "I need space to use this big ass skull as decoration".

    I doubt that Midnight would help to have the skull of the creature she killed in the same place she regularly visits, emotional toll or not.

    Even if Twilight doesn't refuse to help, by solidarity for Midnight, I would bet she would find it so gruesome and would want nothing to do with it. Unless Page let her study the shit out of it, but then the skull wouldn't be available for decoration.

    Celestia seems to me more of a smiting type of goddess rather than a space-ex-nihilo type. And Midnight disagreeing with this would weigh on her decision as well.

    Luna... well, she is the edgy princess, so I can see her at least being willing to help Page, but unless they decide to put the skull on her pet rock (which would defeat the point of having a big ass skull as interior decoration), I don't see how she would be able to help as she runs into the same practical problems as Celestia.
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    You're generally correct even if I think you drastically undersell the kinds of spells Celestia and Luna likely have learned over the centuries, but my point was entirely that space isn't the limiting factor here because so many people in Page's general circle are really powerful magic users and/or people with wide-ranging influence so that even if they aren't capable of bending space for this, they likely can recruit someone who can. In particular, since Celestia runs a school for gifted unicorns, if there's a unicorn out there whose special talent is making things bigger on the inside or whatever, Celestia is almost certain to have their mailing address on file somewhere. Space is not the limiting factor here; the bigger problems, as you've said, are talking any of those people into it and, as I've said, whether it's even a good idea in the first place.
     
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    • The rain poured down outside. Like always here, it seemed to go from sunny to cloudy to waterfall in about thirty seconds so the moment things got dark, I retreated to the closest cover there was.

    Which sadly, was the chamber of skulls.

    I was hardly the only pony in there of course. Midnight and Moon Dancer were having another conversation about something. Tempest stood next to Midnight, looking slightly confused.

    Don't blame her there, I been caught in their magibabble a time or two, I had the same reaction.

    Other ponies were here too, a couple of archeologists were studying the pile of skulls, the rest likely still working their way through the lower level.

    Dee was off in a corner by a torch, scribbling something in her notebook.

    ...Oh damn it, I forgot my satchel in my tent. Could I risk dashing out to get it?

    I looked back out through the hallway to the outside, an almost solid wall of water outside the entrance.

    Nope, fuck that. I'd drown before I reached it.

    "Escaping the rain?" Dee asked with a smile as she crossed the room over to me.

    "Yeeep," I agreed and shook my head, "I'm starting to get really sick of this jungle. I mean, barring the predators and rains it's kinda nice, but..."

    She grinned and flicked her ears, "Not the only one," she admitted, "And I'm used to them."

    I nodded and then frowned, lowering my voice, "Hey... I'm sorry for before."

    Dee looked at me in surprise, "For what?"

    "For when you talked some sense into me over there," I said and motioned towards the hallway outside with my wing, "You shouldn't have needed to do that. It's my expedition, I should have kept it together instead of..." I trailed off and shook my head, "I'm sorry."

    Dee rolled her eyes, muttering something beneath her breath before she shook her head, "You just had a rather emotional surprise," she then said, "I'd be surprised if you didn't freak a bit. And that's after we lost six ponies to the jungle."

    "And I shouldn't have put any of that on you."

    Now she looked annoyed, "And you didn't."

    "But I'm trying to-"

    "Stop talking," Dee said and I snapped my mouth closed and she moved a bit closer,

    "You're the leader of this expedition," she said quietly, "But that doesn't mean it all has to rest on your wings. Things have happened, bad things. Everypony needs somepony to talk to sometimes and everypony needs friends. We're friends, right?"

    I nodded.

    "Sometimes it helps to talk things over with a friend," Dee said, looking up at me, moving a bit closer, "Even just go get to vent or get a new and different perspective of things."

    I nodded again, swallowing. We were almost close enough to touch.

    "If I told you something I was having trouble with, would that be me 'heaping' that problem onto you?" she asked.

    I shook my head.

    "So why would it be the reverse?"

    "...It wouldn't," I admitted with a small sigh.

    Dee nodded and put her hoof against my chest, "We're friends, we can talk about things."

    I nodded, "Yeah. Sorry."

    She rolled her eyes again and dropped her hoof.

    I grinned, "So," I asked, "Does that mean if I ask what your actual name is, you'll tell me?"

    Dee smirked, "Nooope," and trotted past me towards the outside, "Oh, look. It's stopped raining."

    I glanced at her for a second before I followed her outside. The sun was starting to break through the clouds already and I took a deep breath from the clear air.

    "...Might not be overly fond of rain," I admitted, "But I like the scent when it's over."

    "Me too," Dee agreed and looked up towards the sky, "...I'm tired of a bedroll, I should be able to catch a stray bit of cloud before it's completely gone. Want one?"

    I really, really liked that idea.

    "Show me how?" I asked.

    She nodded, "Come on, we need to hurry before they dissipate!" and then she took to the air.

    I quickly followed her into the sky.
     
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    • Now I think we all acknowledge that she is most likely Daring do, but we may be falling for the long con! After all, there's no requirement for this to be the logical and obvious answer.

    What if she turns out to be Dashing Dancer, the necromantic archaeologist swing dance instructor?


    I think it's all coming together now!
     
    I totally expect Daring Do's next book, Daring Do and The Lost Thestral Temple, to be 50% Daring Do trying to seduce the dark and mysterious Prince Consort Blank Page.

    And to Page only find out that she was trying to seduce him after he reads the book.
     
    theaceoffire said:
    Now I think we all acknowledge that she is most likely Daring do, but we may be falling for the long con! After all, there's no requirement for this to be the logical and obvious answer.

    What if she turns out to be Dashing Dancer, the necromantic archaeologist swing dance instructor?


    I think it's all coming together now!
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    That's completely ridiculous.

    Necromancers almost exclusively tango.
     
    There's hard-working and then there's "I willingly disregard my limits and cause exhaustion burn in my horn on the second day after the crash doing stuff that honestly could wait"
     
    NHO said:
    There's hard-working and then there's "I willingly disregard my limits and cause exhaustion burn in my horn on the second day after the crash doing stuff that honestly could wait"
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    I mean it really couldn't have waited, as the attack by the Rex proved. The issue was, well, what they did was in fact inadequate.
     
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    • Stupid... stupid... stupid fruit!

    I turned the purple fruit in my hooves. We had discovered them yesterday and while they looked like giant purple grapes, they tasted like nothing else and were absolutely delicious.

    But the shell was thick, strong and just stretchy enough to make it a pain in the tail to get through!

    I glared at it and then tried with my fangs again. Open, damn it!

    "Sir! Sir!"

    I looked up to see a pegasus quickly swoop down from the air towards the temple, she was one of the scout patrols.

    "Sir! The airship! The Airship!" she exclaimed as she landed just before me, "They're here!"

    I surged to my hooves, the fruit forgotten, "Where? How far?"

    Light Shimmer pointed with her hoof, "That way, fifteen minutes of flying."

    I nodded as I looked around at the ponies all paying very close attention to us, "Okay!" I said loudly, "Our ride home is almost here, you all know what to do. Get to it!"

    As everypony burst into motion and the unicorns started to send up flares high into the sky, I looked to Light and gave her a nod, "Good job spotting them."

    She grinned, "Airship, not exactly hard to spot. I'll head out and guide them in."

    I gave her a nod and she took back to the sky once more.

    They were here. We'd get everypony else home safely.

    I felt relief rush through my body for a second before I shook it off and took to the skies, flying up on top of the highest point of the pyramid. No relaxing yet, not until everypony is on the airship and outside the jungle again. Who knows if we'll run into more feral weather and crash again.

    And wouldn't that just be fucking awesome.

    I didn't need to wait long before I spotted a spot approaching on the horizon, slowly growing to the shape of an Equestrian airship. Bit slower, but fatter than the one that took us here. And a bit smaller.

    Things on the way back would be... let's call it cozy. That sounds a lot better than 'get your hoof out of my face' cramped.

    But it was better than staying here!

    Besides... not like everypony had to go on the airship the entire way either, just back to a town that got rail service. Might be slower, but as cramped as it'll be, I bet a ton of ponies rather take that route if given a choice.

    The airship slowed as it got closer, turning to come up parallel to the pyramid as Light Shimmer guided them in. As they came to a halt, it started to slowly lower down and a hatch opened in the bottom as the propellers stopped turning.

    A quad of pegasi emerged, carrying ropes that they flew up and attached, letting them fall down to the ponies below and they started to pull the airship down and into position just beside the second level of the pyramid.

    I watched as they worked before I spread my wings and glided down to land next to Midnight where the ramp would be lowered to.

    Moments later the door opened and the ramp extended, glowing from unicorn magic as it was laid into place.

    Then I saw them.

    Luna and Sunset.

    They were the first ones out and I stepped forward to meet them by the bottom of the ramp, "My Sky," I said, looking up at Luna.

    She smiled and moved in to nuzzle softly, "My Page," she answered as she moved closer. I nuzzled against her neck, feeling her warmth against me for a long moment before I stepped back, smiling up at her.

    There was only so much public affection we could show, as much as I'd like to-

    My train of thought was abruptly derailed as Sunset grabbed me and pulled me into a kiss that made my brain just completely lock up.

    "Don't do that to us again," Sunset breathed as she finally broke the kiss, looking into my eyes.

    I managed a small nod, far from certain I'd be able to form words at the moment.

    Luna smiled and nuzzled at my ear before she herded Sunset and me out of the way so ponies could disembark the airship without having a pair of alicorns taking up all the room.

    "So," I started, clearing my throat, "Welcome to the monster infested jungle. I'd show you around, but something would try to eat us so I think we'll skip the tour for today. Breakfast is served at seven and there is no room service. If you find a monster beneath your bed, ask them to kindly leave."

    Luna looked to Sunset, "You broke him."

    "I did not," Sunset protested with a grin, "He's always that silly."

    I glowered at them. No sense of humour.

    Luna smiled before she shook her head, "Buck it," and pulled me into a kiss that if I had any, would have curled my feathers.
     
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    • The fire crackled happily, sparks shooting up into the night.

    It had been decided that we were to stay one more night to allow everypony to get ready and the researchers to finish documenting everything they could.

    Now when we knew this place was here and it's exact location, there would be more expeditions but nopony wanted to leave the job half finished.

    The moon shined high above and I pulled Sunset a bit closer with my wing, giving her ear a small nuzzle, "It's fine, I promise."

    "You said it was just a scratch," she said and poked at my bandage again, "Then what's this?"

    "To keep it clean," I reassured her, "Seriously, it's fine. Even my horn had stopped hurting by now."

    Something roared far in the distance and our ears perked up, Sunset looking out towards the darkness outside the barricades and then shivered slightly, "This place is..."

    "Like the Everfree," I agreed, "Everything is wild and ponies are very much on the menu."

    Sunset nodded and looked over to the next fire where Midnight and Sparks were conversing quietly, "...How's she doing?"

    "Midnight?" I asked, "She's... it's difficult for her. Everything she has gone through, I just want to give her a hug and tell her everything will be okay, but..."

    "It might not," Sunset agreed quietly with a small sigh as she leaned against my side, "I think spending time with Twi might be a good idea. We talked during the journey."

    "Oh?"

    Sunset nodded, "Twi's moving back to Canterlot, at least for a while. She's thinking of getting a small place."

    "That's good right?" I asked, resting my horn against hers, "She'll be much closer to you then."

    Sunset smiled slightly, "That's one of the pros," she admitted, "She's not that happy about leaving her friends behind though."

    "That always sucks."

    She nodded, "Yeah... anyway, we were talking and she's going to ask Midnight if she and her Spike want to move in with Twi and her Spike."

    I blinked and then smirks, "Two Spikes and two Twilights beneath one roof? I fear for Canterlot."

    Sunset elbowed me slightly with a grin, "Be nice."

    I grinned at her and shook my head before I gave her a small nuzzle, "I think you're right," I finally said, "I think it might be good for her... hell, both of them. Finally they have somepony as smart as they are to talk to."

    "Mmm," Sunset agreed and shifted slightly to lean against my side as she looked over towards her marefriend, "I have an education in advanced magical theory, I can usually follow her, but there are times she loses me too," she admitted.

    "I don't," I said with a smile, "She definitely loses me quickly."

    Sunset shifted to look at me, pulling away from her side, "You know what? You should."

    "Should what?"

    "Get one," Sunset said with a smile, "Maybe not specifically advanced magical theory, but there are tons of things you'd find useful even without going that deep into it."

    "Oh yeah," I agreed as I nodded, "I'll just go get a PhD in my copious amounts of free time. I'll sneak it in between handling the 'lings and trying to find a way for Batponies to be accepted in general pony society."

    Sunset rolled her eyes and shifted up against my side again, resting her head against my neck, "I'm not saying 'do it now', wingboy. You're immortal, you'll find time sooner or later."

    "Yes, because that's the way things are trending for me," I said dryly, giving her ear tip a small nip, "More free time."

    Her ear flicked and she turned to stick her tongue out at me, "You know what I mean!"

    "Yeah, yeah," I sighed and glanced up towards the stars above.

    The sound of hooves made me glance back just in time to spot Luna before she settled by my other side, spreading her wing across both of us as she gave me a quick nuzzle.

    "Hey," I said and nuzzled back, "Done playing with your pet rock?"

    "Hush you," Luna said with a smile.

    Sunset giggled and then shifted, "Okay, one of you two, wing off. It's way too hot for both of you to be doing that!"

    I shifted my wing off her back and then looked over as Dee exited from the interior of the pyramid carrying a touch in one hoof, "All done?" I asked her.

    Dee nodded, "Last drawing done," she agreed with a smile, patting her bag with her wing.

    Sparks looked up from where she was by the other fire, "Daring!? I didn't know you were here!"

    I looked at her and then back to Dee in confusion. Dee Dee. Daring. Daring Doo.

    I felt my jaw slowly drop.

    Dee... Daring sighed, "Why did she have to go yelling my name," she said and shook her head.
     
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