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Repercussions

by Hiver

Chapter 74

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"Ready below?" I called out.

"Ready!" a voice answered.

I gave the pink pegasus across from me a nod, "Wanna bet at least one of them is too close despite our warning?"

Darling Feather rolled her eyes, "After the last three times, Lord Page? No bet."

Then we started to shake the tree, jumping up and down on the thick branches as we pushed and pulled on the main trunk. The tree creaked and moved, branches hitting branches and leaves against leaves. Then the sound we were waiting for and there started to be thumps from below as the heavy elongated orange fruits started to fall from the tree onto the large piece of airship hull canvas below.

Once a cover from rain, now it was for gathering fruit. You can do plenty with a big piece of fabric.

At least my leg felt a lot better after a day of rest and healing.

I wasn't sure what the fruits were called. They were the size of small watermelons however and about as thick shelled, but they were elongated like aubergines and tasted a bit like sour and sweet strawberries.

But there were a lot of them. While we did have enough food to last until we were rescued, it was a lot nicer to eat something fresh rather than canned or dried foodstuffs, even if the cook did an amazing job.

We kept moving until the thumps had slowed down and Darling held on to the trunk until the tree stopped moving, "Enough for a few days I think?" she asked, brushing her mane out of her eyes.

"Should be," I agreed and let go as well, "Let's see how much we caught."

Darling nodded and took to her wings, flying down from the tree.

I laid down on the branch, let my tail wrap around it before I slipped off it to hang from my tail. Something I never thought to even try before, but something I found surprisingly comfortable. I could apparently even sleep like this as shown by me not falling to my death when I was stuck in the jungle with Dee. Maybe I should try it sometimes when we get back to Canterlot, I bet Luna would find it hilarious. We could get a perch and everything.

Speaking of which, I should give her another situation report.

"Lord Page?" a voice called out from below, "We're ready to head back?"

"Go on, I'll come in a bit," I called back to them.

I could hear them move out below and I slowly turned, "Amber?"

"Yes, sir?" she asked from behind me and I swung around to look at her.

She was also upside down, standing on the bottom of a branch as she looked at me. I smiled at the sight, "I'm going to take a nap and talk to Luna, let them know how we are doing. Wake me if anything happens?"

Amber shifted a bit uncertainly, "Shouldn't we head back first?"

"We haven't seen any arboreal predators yet," I said, "and you're here to keep an eye out. Besides, I won’t be asleep for long."

"Very well, sir."

I gave her a nod and then pulled my legs a bit tighter, my wings a bit around me and got comfortable as I closed my eyes. Considering I had been awake yesterday and most of last night helping setting things up and then unable to sleep because my mind just kept whirling around what we discovered... or thought we discovered anyway, I was pretty tired today and sleep found me pretty easily.

It was only a couple of minutes before I found myself in the drifting lights of the dream realm.

I did the now familiar scan around to see if I found any ponies sleeping away from where the camp was. I could tell because it had a dozen ponies asleep right now. Some of the injured and the ones that stood guard last night.

But other than them... nothing until Equestria.

I took a slow breath and sighed, shaking my head before the dream realm shifted around me and I found myself standing next to Luna.

She blinked and turned to me before she smiled and moved up to hug me tight, both forelegs and wings going around me as she sat down. I hugged back just as tight, leaning against her. Her warmth, her scent, her very being here... it all made me feel a thousand times better.

I didn't want to let go. So I didn't.

Luna nuzzled softly between my ears, "How are things going?" she finally asked.

"All the survivors are still safe," I said against her warm coat, "The researchers are busy and so is everypony else. We just finished gathering some fresh dinner for everypony and I figured I'd let you know we're alright."

Luna nodded, "Have they found out anything more?" she asked.

I let her know what we discovered last night when I finally did fall asleep.

"Don't know," I admitted, "They were fully at it again this morning, but I joined one of the teams gathering food. I would be more useful there than being in their way. I don't have the education to be useful and without my horn, all I could do it write things down for them and my mouthwriting is awful."

"I think you're selling yourself a bit short, My Page," Luna said and shifted to look into my eyes.

"...Maybe," I admitted, "But Moon Dancer and Midnight were talking theories of blood magic this morning and I got maybe one word in three. I'm not dumb, but I don't have their theoretical background."

Luna nodded, "Admittedly, neither do I," she said and touched her horn against mine, "How's your horn?"

"Much better," I said and smiled a bit up at her, "It's down to a dull ache. If the timeline Midnight laid out is correct, and because it's Midnight I think it is, I should be back to normal in two or three weeks. But I'm not touching magic until I have seen an expert, no way I'm risking going back to zero on this."

"I have had it a time or two myself," Luna agreed, "But I think I managed to avoid getting it as bad as you described. My horn hurt, yes, but..."

"Mine felt like it was on fire," I agreed, "Not in a hurry to repeat the experience," I said and cuddled against her, "That said, My Sky... maybe I should take some classes when we get back. I can't follow what Moon Dancer and Midnight were theorizing about, but I want to be able to. Maybe not take classes as I don't think that fits anyponys schedule, but maybe a tutor or something."

"I think that sounds like an excellent idea," Luna agreed with a smile.

"One with a big club that can get things through into my thick skull."

That got a small smile from her and me a small kiss, "Silly Page."

I winked at her and then slowly pulled back, "How's Sunset doing?"

"Worried," Luna said, "Twilight is surprisingly calm though, she usually has a tendency to worry," she continued and shifted her wings, "I suspect she's forcing it to help keep her marefriend from getting even more panicked."

I flicked my ears, "Let Sunny know that I'll see her tonight?" I asked before I quickly blinked and turned my head to the side as I felt something poke me firmly, "Amber wants me to wake up, I have to go."

I opened my eyes, looking directly into Ambers. She held a hoof up to her lips and pointed down towards the jungle ground beneath us.

I looked down towards the ground, not seeing anything but the green of the jungle, but I could hear movements. Rustling branches, heavy footsteps. A deep intake of air.

We stayed still. Very. Very. Still.

I just listened, ready to fly at a moment's notice.

Thump.... Thump.... ThumpCrack....Thump.

Slowly it became less audible as it moved away. Luckily, not towards the camp, but to the west. The camp was to the north from where we were right now.

"Did you see it?" I whispered to Amber.

She shook her head, "No," she answered equally quietly.

"We better let everypony know that there is something big in the jungle," I whispered and then pulled myself back up onto the branch and started to climb higher. I didn't really feel like traveling back beneath the canopy of the jungle right now.

Next Chapter: Chapter 75 Estimated time remaining: 2 Hours, 48 Minutes
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