//------------------------------//
// Chapter 39 
// Story: Looking Glass 
// by Hiver 
//------------------------------//

The next couple of days were interesting. Celestia stayed at the castle this time and so did Pepper.

I knew Midnight was taking tonight to have a sleepover with her friends, her parents were coming back to Ponyville tomorrow.

Cadence, Shining Armor were also on their way back, bringing Flurry this time.

Everypony was coming here and I couldn’t help but think that they were somehow going to end up yelling at me about it.

So I had planned to make myself a bit scarce for the next couple of days.

But that was for a little bit later, right now I was exactly where I needed to be.

“It’s going to be okay,” I said quietly, “They’re your friends and they love you.”

Fluttershy swallowed, her eyes squeezed tightly closed but she nodded, “I-I know…”

“He’s right, you know,” Midnight told her gently from the other side, “I know, I don't care. They may have some questions, but they’re our friends.”

She looked between us, taking another deep breath before she nodded, “I-I know, it’s just…” she said quietly before her voice trailed off.

“I know,” Midnight said and gave Fluttershy a quick hug, “We’re both here for you.”

Fluttershy hugged back and then swallowed, “R-ready.”

“Ready?” Midnight asked.

Fluttershy shook her head, “N-no. But I… I have to.”

Then she stepped forward, walking towards the door before us to the room where the rest of the girls were.

I looked after her, “Fluttershy is the bravest pony I know,” I said quietly so only Midnight could hear me, “She’s terrified. But doing it anyway.”

Midnight nodded and then moved to follow. I followed her in turn, stretching my wings for a moment.

“What’s up, Fluttershy?” Rainbow asked from her place on the couch, a bottle of cider sitting next to her.

“Yeah, what’s the big surprise?” Applejack asked from next to her.

Fluttershy swallowed, “I-I… I wanted to…” she said quietly, looking between them and then to Rarity, “I…”

Fluttershy was terrified.

She dropped her illusion anyway before she raised her head to look at them, “I-I’m a thestral.”

Applejack and Rarity looked at her in shock but Rainbow smiled, “Like I didn’t know that,” and took a drink from her cider.

Fluttershy looked at her in surprise, “You did?”

“Flutters, we shared a room at flightschool for years,” Rainbow said with a smile and jumped off the couch, “You’re like awesome at hiding, but nopony is that good.”

Wait what!? She thought I was a vamponie and… she thought Fluttershy was a vamponie and didn’t tell anypony!?

Element of loyalty indeed.

Fluttershy stuttered something but seemed unable to speak and Rainbow took a step closer, pulling the thestral into a hug.

“Hold on a minute!” Applejack exclaimed and jumped off the couch, walking over to them, “yer a bat!?”

Fluttershy swallowed and broke the hug with Rainbow before she nodded, “Y-yes.”

“That wasn’t just some spell of Twilights?”

“Actually,” Midnight interjected, “I did some research into that when I worked on the bloodcurse. My spell had some some of weird sympathetic reaction with th-

“Curse!? What curse?” Rarity exclaimed as she joined them, “Fluttershy, darling, what is she talking about?”

Fluttershy looked between them, “Y-you… you really…”

Rarity smiled at her, “It’s a surprise, but why would we think any worse of you?”

Fluttershy looked like she was about to cry and Midnight pulled her into a hug, the rest of the girls quickly joining in.

I ducked out at that time. I knew Fluttershy would be alright, the elements were all good mares. I had not actually realized Rainbow had already known, but it wasn’t surprising in retrospect.

But with everything alright, it was time for me to butt out.

This was their private time and I didn’t belong, besides it was time for me to find somewhere to hole up for a couple of days until things calmed down again.

Because quite frankly, I didn’t want to be yelled at right now. That and from what I seen, I had actually butterflied quite a bit when it came to book releases since I appeared.

I had located over a dozen books that I never even heard of before, fiction books released during the last couple of years.

I wanted to read them and hiding from everypony that was going to arrive for the next couple of days as the perfect excuse to do so.