//------------------------------// // Chapter 12 // Story: Repercussions // by Hiver //------------------------------// I went in for landing in the alley, double checking that the illusion was wrapped tightly around myself. It actually wasn't much of a disguise really. Altered my features slightly, hid my horn and changed my coat to be more of a darkish gray and my regular mark was replaced with a silvery ring. Same one I had when going on the 'secret' dates with Luna. Seemed fitting for a bat pony anyway. The rest was just minor cosmetic changes, like muzzle shape and such. Check done, I stretched my wings for a second before I took a deep breath and folded them again before trotting out on the street, making sure my small satchel was in it's place. I made my way down the cobblestone street at an easy trott, ignoring the looks I was getting. Or trying to at least. Nopony was mobbing me, but it was a bit disconcerting all the same. Ponies were usually friendly creatures, but they didn't look at me like that. I had expected some uncertainty, they aren't used to bat ponies after all. At least not outside Luna's guard. But I got at least as many outright hostile looks as I got uncertain ones, but the most common one was surprise and then hurrying away. That was... unsettling. If it was always like this, I got why thestrals stayed hidden. Even if they aren't chased out of town, this kind of thing day in and day out... I paused for a second and looked around before I crossed the street, waiting for a wagon to move past before I entered a bakery and approached the counter, "Hello," I said with a smile, doing my best not to show any fangs, "I'd like to order a set o-" "You got any Bits?" the mare behind the counter interrupted me before I could finish. She was an earth pony with a goldenish coat and a darked brown mane. I blinked at her in surprise, "Of course," I said and patted my satchel with a smile, "I'd like to order three cinnamon buns, please." "Sure," she said and pulled three from the display and slid them into a paper bag, putting it on the counter, "That'll be six bits." I dug the Bits from the satchel and put them on the counter. She took them and put them in the drawer before putting the bag on the counter for me to take as she stared at me. Last I was here, she had been all smiles and chatting away. Even when I was an unknown unicorn, not an alicorn. Taking the small bag, I slid it into my satchel and left the store, glancing back for a second by the door. This was... bad. Not very scientific though, she was just one pony after all and there are people like that in pretty much any group. She likely wasn't used to bat ponies, that's all. Might just even been a bad day, who knows? I really hope she was just having a bad day. Taking a breath, I trotted down the street before searching up a small park I knew was there from before, or more specifically, the small park bench I knew was there. I had spent hours there in the past when writing or reading. Finding it unoccupied, I jumped onto it and settled down to enjoy my cinnamon buns. Or try to at least. It wasn't easy considering the looks I was drawing. A unicorn turned around and guided her foal back the way they came rather than walk past. That one hurt the most I think. This was... I never thought ponies could act like this. Especially since I was essentially just a pegasus, if different because of a curse thousands of years ago. Even then, bat ponies had not hunted ponies for blood for almost as long. Was it ponies just being careful? It didn't feel like it. ...Did Changelings go through the same thing? "Excuse me? Sir?" I looked up to find a pair of solar guards approaching me, the now familiar double image of their armour illusion overlaid over them. In reality, the unicorn on the left had a blue coat while the pegasus on the right had more of a light pink. "Yes?" I asked, putting my second bun down on the paper bag, "Can I help you, guardsman?" The unicorn sighed slightly, "I'm going to need you to move along, we have gotten a report you are causing a public commotion." I blinked at him, "Excuse me? I'm just having lunch. I'm not bothering anypony." "Even so, I need you to move on, you are disturbing ponies." I had expected better from a member of the guard. Any of the guards. Guardsman Silver Spear and Silent Cloud, and don't think I didn't recognize both of them, were likely to be having some rather unpleasant dreams tonight. I took a slow deep breath, suppressing the sudden impulse of dropping the illusion and letting them know exactly what I was thinking about their actions. I had to finish this experiment after all for it to be valid. "Very well," I answered with a sigh, putting my remaining buns away and jumping off the bench to leave the park. When I'm done with lunch, I'm going to see if I can find a job for the day. They are always looking for ponies to carry cargo and things like that. That didn't go as well.