//------------------------------//
// Winged Imago 
// Story: Of Tricks And Treats 
// by Starlight Shadow 
//------------------------------//

Fluttershy stood in front of the mirror, looking at the new mare reflected back at her. 

Her long pink mane no longer covered her face, instead tied back in a loose braid. Her eyes shone with a visible sparkle, instead of a dull gleam barely visible beneath the thick layers of timidity and stuttering. And most importantly, she was dressed up. 

Fluttershy had started dating Princess Luna a couple months before Nightmare Night, and both of them had enjoyed having a confidant separate from their other (quite small) social circles. She was a completely different pony around her princess, and Luna had suggested letting this other Fluttershy out amongst the Nightmare Night crowds. 

Speaking of Luna...Fluttershy glanced at the clock. She should be here in about two minutes. Fluttershy's ears perked up at the sound of her porcelain tea kettle whistling, and quickly dashed into the kitchen to pour two cups. She inhaled the heady aroma of pumpkin and various other herbs as she tried to suppress the nervous tingles deep inside her. This "breaking out of your shell" business was scary. 

There was a royal blue flash in the corner of her vision, and she felt the crackle of magic on the edges of her mind. She had come to recognize the magical shockwave from a long-distance teleportation spell, and she ran to the door to greet Luna. "Hello, Fluttershy." Luna smiled as Fluttershy opened her door. Fluttershy let Luna lean down and kiss her on the nose. 

"Hi, Luna." Fluttershy moved to the side so she could let Luna in. Fluttershy flew into the kitchen first so she could hand Luna her cup, which the princess quickly sipped from. The two sat down at the table, Fluttershy's wings twitching. 

"Are you sure I have to wear these cat ears?" Luna groused as she adjusted the aforementioned ears. 

Fluttershy giggled. "You look so cute in them, though!" They fit Luna's head snugly, and on the princess they appeared as elegant as a masquerade mask. 

"You look cuter than I ever could." Luna grinned. 

Fluttershy blushed. She was dressed up as a witch, with a tattered black dress and hat and black and white striped leggings that went above her knees. The outfit was topped off with a black choker around her neck and pink tulle around the rims of her front sleeves, Rarity's advice to add. She thought she looked good, but not particularly cute. 

"Stop blushing at compliments that are true, Fluttershy." Luna's smile was mysterious. "You'll be - how do you say it nowadays - knocking 'em dead." 

"I will not." Fluttershy protested. "And you said I was taking baby steps at first." 

"You are." Luna set down her cup and dabbed at her upper lip with a napkin. "And what were your goals for tonight?" 

"Talk to at least three ponies I don't know, dance for at least one song, and go to that Nightmare Night party Vinyl Scratch was holding." Fluttershy cringed at the last one. "Do I have to stay there long?" 

Luna shook her head. "Just ten or twenty minutes if that's all you're comfortable with for now." Fluttershy sighed with visible relief. 

Luna wrapped her wing around the little witch. "You'll do fine, Fluttershy. Though your name may bind your temperament, you do not have to let it do so." 

In the embrace of her lover, Fluttershy felt that statement was nothing but true. "Are you ready to go?" 

"Only if you are."