//------------------------------// // Chapter 58 // Story: Complications // by Hiver //------------------------------// My everything started to really ache about when I got halfway back to the treebrary. But even so, I had stopped by Rarity’s store and put in an order. It had made the white unicorn rather excited in ways that had nothing to do with the… significant chunk of Bit’s I was going to pay her for it. That gleam in her eyes was one that I recognized anywhere, even if I was much more used to seeing it from the other side. My suggestion of ‘something scandalously sexy for Luna’ almost made the unicorn glow. I almost thought she’d offer it for free, but she kept sense about her enough to suggest a price for the rush. I think I paid less for my first printing of books. But fair enough, it was a rush order… and I had no doubt the result would be well worth it. Pushing the door open to the library, I slowly entered and looked around, “Anypony in here?” “Over here, Page,” Sunset called back, “About closing time anyway, you can lock the door.” Nodding, I locked the door behind me and moved off in search of her. I found Sunny and Sparky by the fireplace, a book open before them, “Hey you two. Had a nice day?” Twilight smiled and nodded, “It was. And I have some thi-” She was interrupted by Sunny putting her hoof on hers, “Tomorrow. It’s been a long day for everypony and I bet Page is tried too.” “...Sorry,” Twilight said and gave me a small chagrined look. I smiled at her, “Never apologize for being excited about something you love doing,” I told her and looked at them, “Mind some company, or do you two want some alone time?” Sunset smiled and reached up to pull me down next to her and giving me a quick nuzzle before touching her horn to mine, “How did your flying go?” “So why couldn’t we come help?” Twilight asked, “I’m sure we could have figured something out.” I rested my horn against Sunny’s before I sighed and looked to Sparky, “Look, this is difficult enough without having to have two attractive mares watching me flail around and ending up in the bushes. There is only so much my ego can take.” I didn’t even lie. It was bad enough that Fluttershy saw it. Sunny stuck her tongue out at me as Twilight blushed. “So how did it go?” Sunny asked. Letting go of my illusion, I stretched my wings and sighed, “I can get in the air and mostly stay there. Anything else though is an exercise in frustration for tomorrow. Another couple of days away from ponies that can spot me and I’ll be okay, I think.” Twilight slowly nodded, looking at my wings over Sunsets back, “I would expect it to be very different from regular pegasus wings.” “They are,” I admitted, “It’s almost…” I said and then frowned, “Sunny, you might know what I mean what I say that it’s almost like swimming for a human. Less like shifting the wings and more like you grab the air and throw it behind you.” Sunset slowly nodded, “I think so. I never learned how to swim as a human though.” I blinked at her, “You didn’t?” She shook her head, “Never had the time,” she admitted and rolled onto her back, looking up at Twilight and myself, her front legs held to her chest, “I… I was always so busy when I was in the human world. Very little of it good.” “Well, you were a villain,” I said with a smile. Sunny sighed and looked to Twilight, “Still, I do wish I spent more time exploring and less time plotting.” “Not overly long until the portal opens again,” Twilight observed and smiled down to her, “We could go through and go exploring.” “I know I’m taking Luna through,” I said, “It may not be my Earth, but it’s close enough that I want to show her around.” Twilight nodded with a smile, “We didn’t have a lot of time to look around last time,” she agreed, “I would like to explore a bit. There were so many fascinating things!” Oh yes. Twilight Sparkle, a laptop and Wikipedia. We’d never get her away from it. Sunny smiled back to her, “It’s a date,” and then rolled back onto her stomach, leaning against my side and I slipped my wing across her back, “So what are you two reading?” I asked as Twilight shifted to copy me, scooting a bit closer to Sunset and slipping her wing across her back in turn, “Large tome of hidden magical lore?” Twilight grinned briefly and lifted it in her magic to show me the cover, “Daring Do and the Crystal Chalice.” I frowned and nuzzled at Sunny’s ear, “Is that new?” “Just came out,” Sunny nodded, “We’re only a chapter in,” she then added and looked to Twilight, “Want to restart?” “Sure Kitten,” Twilight agreed and flipped back to the start. “You don’t need to do that,” I protested. “Hush,” Sunny said and touched her horn to mine before she did a small wiggle beneath the wings and got comfortable, “It’s only a dozen pages.” Twilight gave her a quick nuzzle and then started to read. I settled down and closed my eyes, letting the tension of the day drain out of me. Twilight did have a very nice reading voice and it didn’t take long until I drifted off to sleep from the warmth of the fireplace.