//------------------------------// // Chapter 57 // Story: Complications // by Hiver //------------------------------// As it turns out, learning to fly for a second time was easier than the first time. The ground came towards me quickly and I flapped my wings hard and fast. Grass! Tree! Bush! BUSH! Ow. Just… you know... not a lot. Grumbling to myself, I struggled out from the thing branches and tried to brush away the leaves and grass that stuck to my coat. “Lord Page!” Fluttershy said as she quickly landed next to me, “Are you hurt!?” “I’m fine, I managed to miss the trees,” I sighed and shook my head, “I almost had it that time. Let’s try again?” Fluttershy nodded but scraped her hoof against the grass, “P-perhaps stop for today?” she suggested, “It’s getting late and I-I need to feed my animal friends.” “Yeah, sure,” I agreed, “Anything I can help with?” I then asked. She smiled and then shook her head, “N-no, it’s fine. Some of them are shy among strangers.” “Let me walk you back at least?” I said and glanced around, the sun was indeed starting to set in the distance, “The Everfree Forest isn’t the safest place in the world. Even the outskirts.” “I-if you don’t mind,” she agreed and shifted her wings before she shook her head almost like shaking her mane back and her pegasus illusion settled over her before she looked to me in turn. I nodded and closed my eyes, focusing before copying her motion. I could feel the illusion rippling across my coat before I opened my eyes again as I felt the illusion settle across me. It was different from the ones I usually used, the ones using unicorn magic. It wasn’t a transformation, but it was solid. You could touch the feathers on my wings. It almost reminded me of Changeling illusions, but nowhere near as good or versatile. It also didn’t need focus to hold. It would keep going straight through the night if I slept with it on. “How’s that?” “Missed your eyes,” Fluttershy said and shifted her wings shyly. Nodding, I broke the illusion before redoing it again, “Sorry. It’s different from what I usually use,” I admitted, “But a lot better.” “Took me a lot longer to learn,” Fluttershy admitted softly as she moved up to stand next to me, “B-but you already knew how to do illusions.” “I suspect that helped,“ I agreed before I looked towards her, “Thank you so much for helping me with this. I owe you a lot.” She shook her head, “It’s what friends do,” she answered with a small smile before she sighed, “...I-I...I never actually thought I would see another thestral. Y-yet alone a stallion...” “I’m not a thestral,” I said as we walked along the path, “Not… not any more than Twilight is a pegasus.” “S-still. We’re… rare.” I nodded with a small thoughtful frown, “Maybe… maybe not?” “How do you mean?” I shifted my wing, showing her the illusion, “While thestrals without a doubt are rare, I’m not completely convinced… we… are as rare as you think. This is a pretty good way of hiding and as long as they don’t go nuts for apples or something, not like anyone will be able to tell.” Fluttershy licked her lips at the mention of apples before she blushed and nodded, “I-I guess,” she answered quietly, “Would be… nice…” It suddenly struck me exactly how alone it must have been for her. To hide who she was even from her closest friends, to hide from fear of how ponies would react. All her life, from the first time she found out. ...Exactly like I was going to do. I hesitated for half a step before I glanced to her, “...You haven’t told your friends,” I said after a second. Fluttershy did a full body shiver and shifter her wings, quickly shaking her head, “No! I-I couldn’t. Not… I thought about it,” she admitted, “Before… I was hit by a spell once. T-twilight used a spell to drive away bats and it hit me too. It drove me… so hungry. They saw me, like I was. It scared them so much but they thought it was the spell that transformed me!” “Oh.” Fluttershy swallowed, “When I… when I got to my senses and put the illusion back up, they… they had been so afraid. I could never tell them!” I paused and put my hoof on her shoulder as I stopped, “Luna, Sunset and Twilight all know about me,” I told her softly, “Amber and Skitter also knows. Fluttershy, they’re your friends. For crying out loud, Twilight is the Princess of Friendship. They aren’t going to stop being your friends.” She looked away for a long moment before she turned to look at me, “...Y-you don’t know what it’s like. N-not really. To hide s-since I was a filly. Since I first got my mark. To be afraid that somepony would find out.” I let my hoof fall, “...You’re right. I don’t. I’m sorry.” “I-it’s fine,” she said quietly and scraped her hoof against the ground before she then looked at me again, “Do you want to c-continue tomorrow?” “I would like that.”