The Unwanted One

“Hi, Applejack! Glad to see ya!” Pinkie Pie waved with her hoof while leaning against a small fence. “Hi, sugarcube!” She chuckled mellowly while fixing her hat, but lost her enthusiasm entirely when she saw me. “Good morning, Nightmare.” Applejack said to me coldly. I nodded in answer wordlessly. “I’m giving Nightmare a trip across the town!” It was like Pinkie didn’t notice any tension. “I’m free today, so I had decided to go to Nightmare because she got into the hospital, but, fortunately, she’s okay, everything is fine, the only problem is that Twilight is busy today and couldn’t show everything as she wanted, but for her luck I’m free and thus I’ve decided to acquaint her with the town instead of Twilight!!!” Pinkie said that in one breath and smiled widely. I and the farmer-girl exchanged with the same lonesome gaze. Pinkie is a good talk partner when she’s serious, and she, to everyone’s surprise, can be serious. But sometimes she’s getting too fast… “Easy, sugar cube.” Applejack showed a hoof before her in a stopping gesture. “I’ve not gotten — who is busy and how Twilight’s in a bone-factory? What happened to her?” The orange mare looked at my companion with dismay. “You have gotten everything wrong!” The pink one giggled amusedly. “I heard that Nightmare came to hospital yesterday, but must be home already. I decided to go to her and check her. As it turned out — she’s fine, but Twilight couldn’t show her Ponyville due to her work. But I could! And we decided to start with your beautiful farm!” Slowly, like for infants, Pinkie paraphrased her thunder-like thought. She’s kidding. “A-a… I’ve heard 'bout that… I was there yesterday, about evening, to check Dashie. The doctors there do a fair amount of judgment about your black wench going after, going after… Dam’, well, after the one who messes around with one’s teeth, throwing benches at him. Poor fella almost lost his marbles.” The farmer-girl swept a gaze over me with dislike. “And the way you’ve said that I thought that Twilight got her fair amount of bruises.” The orange pony nodded towards me. I couldn’t hold myself and tittered, holding my hoof at my forehead. They’ve made it up — they’ve frightened themselves. “Made muck and said “This is my luck.” AJ grumbled darkly and twisted a cold gaze to me. “I just thought that the story could be more interesting if it had the aspect of me wanting to eat him. With his robe.” The mares, paling significantly, made a few steps back from me simultaneously. “Go to the psyche ward and ask how it was. If you, of course, interested in truth and not in gathering as much conjectures as you can.” “And you mean you don’t want to tell it yourself?” The pony with a hat gave me a squinted look. “I don’t.” I snapped. “What’s the point? To hear from you something like: “Yeah-yeah, keep saying that lie, you villain”? If you want to hear the truth — you’ll do it yourself. I’m not interested in these fairy tales, if you want to be scared of me — do it. I’m fine with it until it doesn’t bother me.” I moved with a wing phlegmatically. “But it’s a bad thing when everyone is scared of you!” Pinkie objected with awe. “If everyone runs away from you — you’ll have only a few friends!” “But it would be real friends.” I responded. “Those, who can see my self despite my appearance and reputation. And those, who can’t — it’s their right to snuggle into basements, I’m not going to prove them anything.” Honestly — I lied a bit. I’m going to, but in such a way that no one would notice it. It’s really funny when people are scared of you on one hand. But on another — it just annoys you, when all these fears bring discomforts and create problems. Like yesterday with the dentist. It was he who had gotten frightened, but it’s me who has an unhealthy cheek now. Another question is that I’m also not going to acquaint with everyone fanatically and not going to stroke dogs right and left pointedly… Well, maybe, let it be as it is. They would get used to it, they’re not going anywhere. “Yeah…” Applejack rubbed her nape, but wasn’t fast enough to formulate her thought: a well-groomed stallion-earthpony with a stylish hair and with a necktie appeared from bushes nearby, and he was hazily familiar to me. “Good day, Applejack!” The stallion started right on the run. “I wanted to…” What he wanted will be a mystery for the rest of our lives: when he saw me, he held his tongue and froze. “O-oh, lady Nightmare, I just… I didn’t… know…” He squeezed out an unnatural smile, laying back his ears and sweeping around with his gaze simultaneously and nervously. “Filthy Rich! Hi!” The farmer-girl greeted him with a relief. That’s why he was so familiar to me… Yeah, he was in the cartoon and, if I remember correctly, was doing some business with the Apples. “I… Uh… I’ll come later, Applejack. When you’re free…” He swept an anxious gaze over me and made his way back past the bushes hastily, and after a second there was a hoof beat that swiftly ran away to somewhere. “Damn it!” The orange earthpony waved with her mane resentfully. “Maybe you’ll visit me later?” She said it to me and Pinkie with such a tone that is not allowed for argument. “Nothing personal — it’s just business.” I grunted and nodded. “Let’s go?” I looked at the pink pony that looked somewhat gloomy. She nodded wordlessly, and we, accompanied by an Applejack’s sigh, moved away from the farm. “Filthy! Wait! I… Ah, hay!” This made its way into our ears after a few seconds — a successful business mare started to pursue her very important business partner. “Filthy, come back, I’ll excuse everythi-i-ing!” I parodied and chuckled. “Prosperity of the farm is very important to Applejack, but she has never put friends below this…” Pinkie said sadly while not paying attention to my phrase. “And Nightmare… Please, don’t joke like that. “To eat”, burgh… “ She shivered chilly. “Come on! A good one, I liked it.” I bared teeth. “Not a good one at all! Scary! And it’s not of the kind when it’s funny when it scary, but a really-really scary! Don’t do it, please…” The sheepishly cringed earthpony swept a frightened and something like a disappointed gaze. “Fine, I’ll try.” I grumbled. The Pinkie’s answer was a relieving sigh only. “Well, about Applejack… It’s obvious that she’s not impressed by me.” I continued another topic to break the hanging silence in the air. “Immediately, when an opportunity with a plausible excuse to get rid of me appeared — she used it, and that’s all.” “But it’s wrong!” My companion raised an upset gaze at me. “One should try to get friends, to smooth things over and to understand each other, not to avoid! But she did the same as the others — escaped!” “I don’t see a tragedy.” I followed some bird with my eyes, that was sitting on a branch of a tree near the road, as she quickly flew away from me. “I hoped that such an honest pony as Applejack could have seen that you’ve changed and accept it! But she…” Pinkie sighed. “Come on.” I waved with a wing. “Maybe she’s really having an urgent business after all.” “Maybe…” Pinkie mused for a few seconds, shook with her curly mane and looked at me with her normal, joyful gaze. “What’s next, Night? To Rarity or to Fluttershy?” Well, I won’t go to Fluttershy without a gift, and it means going back into the town. So… “Let’s begin with Rarity.” By the way, the dress designer can give a hint about the gift — in canon they were fairly a good pair of friends. “Okay, let’s go! We must go there!” Pinkie waved with her leg towards the center of the town and started to go forward bouncingly. I chuckled and followed her. I’d have been surprised if we hadn’t had go there — we’re on a straight road that leads only from Ponyville to Sweet Apple Acres, there are no crossroads at all. It was a familiar situation in Ponyville: people spread out in different ways swiftly, pressing themselves against walls and making their pace faster, trying to go around me by the biggest arc, but the most frightened tried to hide away from my eyes in side streets or to lock their houses. I enjoyed by picking strangers who were so brave that they looked at me and started to look at them narrowly, without blinking, laughing at their reactions in my mind. These reactions were often nervous or even frightened, but it’s good for me that eyes of ponies, as it seems, protected by some kind of magic, that allows you to look without blinking for a few minutes, continuously pressing strangers with a heavy look. The picture is completed by Pinkie Pie, bravely prancing near me, sending smiles and greetings to people around, earning stunned and glassed gazes in answer — it looks like it’s not the locals’ cup of tea, when a pair of a joyful pink baker and a black, shady evil alicorn in retirement is together. Twilight wasn’t having such a reaction yesterday. Well, it’s obvious that every dog knows Pinkie, but the lavender unicorn lives here for hardly a week, and not everyone even knows that she’s a student of Princess herself. Shortly after our hooves were clip-clopping across a causeway — we’ve made it to the central streets of the town. Yeah, there it is, a very distinctive roof: light blue, with a colored weather vane — It sticked in memory when I was examining the town in the first day — that means “Carousel” is nearby. I wasn’t wrong — we came to the pompous building after a few minutes. Sign at the door says that the owner is having a day off, but she’s happy to see guests. Pinkie fell a little behind to greet an acquaintance. I chose to not wait the restless pony, came closer to the door and carefully knocked for admittance. It was surprising to me that it was Spike who opened the door. So this is where he went early in the morning… Purple dragon opened the door, fixed his eyes on my legs and slowly looked up, and he just couldn’t believe in this “fortune”. I smiled pleasantly, demonstrating a saw of fangs, dragon shivered and recoiled for half a step, looking away nervously. “Hi, Spike. I’m here to see Rarity.” I pictured the aim of my visit. “A-a… Uh… She’s not here now.” The small one got nervous, scouring with his gaze. “I am sorry for that, Nightmare, but…” Smiling unnaturally, he tried to close the door before me. Didn’t succeed — wood clattered against my leg in the notch between the door and the wall. A lovely story. “She’s not here”, yeah. Draw a blank. “Well, it’s not that bad.” I said it acting too freshly, smiling widely at the dragon once again. “I’ll wait for her here. They say that her boutique always has things to look at, so it seems that I won’t be bored.” I made a step forward, impeding over Spike and forcing him to step back. “R…Rarity asked me… That no one should disturb her… Uh… I mean, no one should disturb her store while she’s gone…” Spike said nervously, wringing his fingers on his paws. “Spikey! Who has come there?” This voice radiates happiness from somewhere at the second floor and made the dragon pale. “As was to be proved.” I satisfyingly nodded to myself and looked at the unlucky dragon that tried to tense. “Yeah, kiddo, even the Element of Honesty lies better than you!” I graded his vain attempts and shook my head. “This guy is a lost cause.” I entered, putting the frozen from fear dragon aside with my telekinesis. “Hello! “Today is my day off, but I’d be happy… Oh…” The white unicorn froze for a moment at the stairs when she saw me. “Hello, Nightmare! What can I help you?” She quickly recovered, returning a friendly expression on her face, but it looks a way less sincere that a few second before. “Hello, Rarity!!!” Unexpectedly, a pink rocket took off behind me even before I had time to open my mouth. “I’m so glad to see you!” Curly earthpony appeared near the unicorn immediately, who had descended already and hugged her. “Pinkie!!!” She began to whine. “My mane! I’ve just set her!” “Oh, I’m very sorry!” The hyperactive pony sprang back from her friend, downing her ears with fault. “But I’m really-really happy to see you!” “We met yesterday, darling.” Rarity rolled her eyes, creating a joyful impression to me, like she’s trying to look for defects in her mane without a mirror. “And what? I still missed you!” The “darling” still doesn’t get the message. The unicorn sighed and shook her head. “Oh, fine. Wait a little Pinkie, I beg you!” She implored. “So, what brought you to “Carousel”, Nightmare?” Designer addressed to me, simulating a duty benevolence on her face. “I’m showing the town to Night and acquaint her with my best friends! It’s great, isn’t?” The restless mare intervened again, not letting me to say even a word. “So you’re together?” Rarity was surprised. “Yep! Visiting you!” Pinkie confirmed with enthusiasm, smiling widely. “Oh, this is bad.” The unicorn sighed, covering her mouth with a hoof. “I have almost nothing! Oh, this is awful! I have nothing to regale you with!” She started to toss about the corner. I followed her with my gaze thoughtfully, trying to understand — is she playing on public or is she serious? Honestly — there was so much panic in her voice that I couldn’t just throw away the second version right away. “Rarity! Maybe I can help you?” The frozen dragon finally came to life and now looked at the elegant mare with a faithful sight. “Oh, Spikey! You could help me if you’d go to the Cakes and buy something eligible for the guests!” Rarity put a hoof to her chest and gifted the dragon a heartfelt gaze. Such a manipulator! “Of course, Rarity! You can count on me!” The knight, deluded with faith from a beautiful lady, stuck out his chest and moved his lower jaw out. I clenched my teeth to not start to laugh. “I knew I can count on you, Spike! Thank you!” The mare smiled radiantly, giving him a purse. “Make sure you will buy chocolate cakes! They’re delicious!” Pinkie gave a hint to the dragon. “And the strawberry cake with meringue as well! And don’t forget cream gateaux! And grab croissants with condensed milk! And…” “Uh… I’ll be soon!” Spike fastened to get out in the street, failing to hold back against pressure. “Wait! I’m not done yet…” Pinkie broke into a run after him. The door slammed, cutting the end of the phrase off and leaving me alone with Rarity. Good freaking job, a creature of chaos… I thought that the main talking part would be on her, and my part is nodding and go along with her talk in needed places, just for others to see me and to get used… However, fortunately, the owner home didn’t allow me to just stupidly look at the wall for hour upon hour. “Maybe… You’d drink some tea?” She asked forcedly. “Don’t mind it.” I nodded in answer. Yeah, acquaintance without a good reason isn’t my forte, I think that leaving now is my bigger wish. But I still have to get in contact with the locals somehow, and it’s obvious that I should start with those who know me a little bit and not scared of. If to be precise, scared of a bit, but not like the others, who lose their minds when they see my head. “Unfortunately, I don’t have anything to offer you with tea.” The unicorn sighed, inviting me to follow her with a gesture. “Except for, maybe, a little bit of cookies…” “It’s fine.” I smiled with an edge of my lips, remembering some periods of my life, when tea without sugar and bread with mayonnaise were a desert. Why it was so — the memory doesn’t give an answer. I sat down to the table and started to examine with interest how a skilled unicorn do her household: stand on one place, following flying to their places serving pieces with a gaze, pouring tea into a teapot with her telekinesis simultaneously, putting the kettle on… Well, I enjoyed the show and was jealous: taking so much different objects to different paths, and not even seeing some of them… Unfortunately, no topics to talk about with a hardly known pony got into my head. Are we going to drink tea wordlessly… Wait, why “no topics”? I had an idea of trying to spy out from Rarity the things that can be liked by Fluttershy and what to gift her. Do I like this new life or not — I think that Fluttershy’s deed must be paid off. Meanwhile, the unicorn poured tea into bowls and sat down to the opposite side of the table. During the time we’ve spent at the kitchen, she said no word: my presence does not inspire her, and the option of kicking me out of the house is blocked by either fear or manners. “Thanks.” I accepted the bowl and a vase with half a dozen of cookies at the bottom. “By the way, I thought you can help me in one question…” “Depends on the question.” The mare answered carefully, stirring her tea with a spoon and giving me a fast glance. “How good do you know Fluttershy? What gift she could liked?” “Gift?!” Rarity was astonished, even forgetting about the spoon and stopping the stirring. “Princess Celestia told me that if she hadn’t said the words, solution of my fate… Could have been different.” I shivered reflexively. “So I think I should express gratitude for her kindness.” I explained and kissed the bowl, lifting it with telekinesis. A grateful drink, even without sugar, but a little bit different than Twilight’s. “M-m… To express gratitude?!” Unicorn froze, the bowl didn’t even make it to her mouth. Yeah, the locals have contempt towards the Mare in the Moon if they think that she can’t pay off a good deed. “Oh, sorry, Nightmare.” My interlocutor laid her ears back guiltily. It seems that the expression of my face was very tell-tale. “I didn’t wait… No, don’t get me wrong!…” “Just say it, Generosity: you didn’t wait the presence of positive emotions inside of an old evil legend. We’ve all been there.” I summarized, chuckling gloomily. “Oh, I didn’t want to insult you!” She fell into sadness completely. “If Her Majesty Princess Celestia accepted and trusted you, I’ll try to do the same, but… It’s difficult: read about reckless evil spirit in a textbook, fight with it, and now… Drink tea at the same table!” Unicorn shook with her head distrustfully. “What about the gift anyways?” I tried to change the topic with elegance of a heavy tank. “Wait a second, please.” Pony stopped me with a gesture. “I just…” She rose from the table and went to a refrigerator, coming back with a bucket of ice cream half a minute later. Unicorn grabbed a small dish and ripped the wrapping, keeping a few spoons of dainty for herself and giving the rest to me. “The last, kept for an extreme case.” She explained her move. “And please — forgive my outrageous indelicacy. I should not have reacted in such a way.” She lowered her eyes to the dish, hesitated for a second and moved the first portion into her mouth. I was looking how she settles her nerves, working with her spoon fixedly, then I shook my head and looked at my own bucket before me. Let’s test the local ice cream out… A bit melted, soft, tender plombières that, in addition, chills my hurt cheek, was beyond praise. I ate the dainty faster than Rarity, even though got to business later, and in fact — she split portions in my favor! I had got back into the real world when I caught myself licking an empty bucket — fortunately, Rarity was so busy with her portion that she, as it seems, didn’t even notice that. “Matchless.” I said my verdict, taking aside the empty container. Unicorn chuckled, smiling hesitatingly, but it was clear that my appraisal adulated her. “You can express regrets tastily, Rarity.” A chuckle touched my lips, when the mare ended with her portion and looked at me. Proven method helped her a lot: she looks calmer and more confident now. “This ice cream is made by pegasi in Cloudsdale. Unfortunately, it is not an easy task to get it… And somehow it always disappears faster than the next delivery comes to me!” Designer mourned, forcing a laugh by me. “But I’m happy that it helped to wear off the impression of my jaundice.” The owner of the boutique gave me a quick glance and immediately looked aside. “It helped.” I smiled for a moment with the edges of my lips. “But only with the impression. Jaundice, as I see, has not gone away. Why you — and the others as well — are afraid to look in my eyes.” “Oh…” Rarity rubbed her forehead above the horn tensely. “I don’t want to insult you again…” “I’m not a touchy one.” I moved with a wing phlegmatically, interrupting the unicorn. “And I want to know where this reaction comes from. “Fine.” She agreed unwillingly and silenced anxiously, picking the right words. “The thing is… Your eyes, they…” “The pupils are vertical? Glowing?” “No, that’s not the point.” She shook her head. “Your gaze is so… You know… Heavy. Empty. Apathetic and lifeless, it seems like you’re not worried about anyone and anything. Even about yourself. And your smile is a very rare occasion.” Rarity explained a bit fragmentarily, picking a stool by her hoof nervously. You’re not worried about anyone and anything… She’s right about something, I guess. It is true that nothing and no one holds me in this world… No, I can’t understand with my mind that there’s no way back, that I should settle in here, but… It feels like I still don’t believe in what happened. Sometimes it feels that everything is going on not with me — I’m just a bystander from aside. My home is not here. There’s nothing that was dear for me… “Nothing at all?” I shivered from the feeble and some kind of dejected unicorn’s voice. Did I say the last phrase aloud? “At all.” I cut it off. “Everything that was is left behind, in the past.” I marked it with my voice. In my past, not yours… But it’s none of your business, Marshmallow. “I’m so sorry.” This standard cliché, said by her, seemed very heartfelt for some reason. “You know… I… It wouldn’t be easy to change my attitude towards you, but… I’ll try. If you need any help — call me. Maybe that would cheer you up…” Rarity lifted her suspiciously glowing eyes. Her glance moved aside, but the unicorn, with a visible force of will, returned it on me, forcing herself to look straightly forward. “Why do you need it?” I looked at her with a gloomy sight. “I know how does it feel, when no one is near, when you’re a stranger for everyone and it’s unclear what awaits you.” Rarity answered quietly. I fixed her with a glance full of doubt. “When I had only arrived in Ponyville after a dispute with parents, I had, like you now, nothing and no one could help me.” The designer started her story absently, diving into the memories. “A dream to earn money and settle in Canterlot, forgetting this “quiet countryside pastoral” so loved by my parents like it was a nightmare, a wallet with fifty bits, blank flank and some skills of sewing — this what I had when I had just arrived here, realizing along the escape from my home that it’s not enough for Canterlot, and I had realized it just in time. Considering that it was far from a stroll even here, what it would have been in the capital… A filly with blank flank in my today’s age is a nonsense, so there wasn’t plenty of talking, and finding a job without a cutie mark was a very hard thing. There was a time, when the money were out — I had to sleep in streets, on a bench in a park, and to crop grass to kill the feeling of hunger… But the worst of all was rejection by the locals, kind of disconnection between them and, as I sometimes heard, “insane” young mare, that should have found her true purpose two-three years ago.” Rarity sighed and rose from the table, going to a window and staring through it with a vacant look. Holy cow… The result of picturing Rarity, sleeping on a bench and covering herself with an old newspaper, was really bad. Never thought that this elegant lady that vividly panics because of stray hair and trying to look like an aristocrat, could have such a story. “I don’t know how it could have ended without the help of madam Embroidery — she was my friend and my teacher in those years. And now, when you’re in the same situation, I… I just can’t leave it as it is.” She said it when I thought that there would be no continuation. “Because I know myself that you need support.” She turned to me. “Thanks, Rarity.” I said quietly, closing my eyes. Heartfelt compassion and effort of this pony to, after all, understand and accept me, pleasantly responded in my soul. Maybe because of such as she, as Pinkie, as Princess Celestia, I, eventually, will accept this world not only by the mind, but by the heart as well… The kitchen went silent. I was moving an empty bowl before my eyes thoughtlessly, mourning in the mind dully about telekinesis’ field that prevents examining the bowl by its light, and Rarity thought about her own, looking out the window…

…

“Nightmare, I can’t look at it anymore!” Unicorn whined after two bowls of tea in silence. “M?” I marked my interest to the problem. “I know that it does not belong to a good pony, dreaming about the high society, to say that right into the face, but…” She bit her lips. “Bu-ut?” I curved my brow. “Your mane is a nightmare!!!” She screamed, closing her mouth with a hoof in the same moment embarrassingly. “Don’t remind me about it please.” A heavy sighed fell out of my chest. “This back scrub on my head will drive me mad! Tickles my ears, creeps into eyes and mouth, scrabbles when dressing armor, turns into a a mat of hair after sleep…” With a gesture of anxiety and hopelessness I put my head onto the table and closed my eyes with a foreleg. “You don’t even know how I miss my magic mane with those tiny little stars…” I complained about my fate to the unicorn. The mane was a disaster for real, and it was a very hard job to not pay attention to it. A long hair is creeping to where it shouldn’t be, scrabbles, clots and just drives me crazy. And I just couldn’t transform this crow’s nest on the head into an adequate look: I just couldn’t use something with telekinesis that is out of my vision — like a comb somewhere on my nape, mirror only worsens things. And I can’t even comb it with my fingers like in the good old days, and I don’t even know what the reason is… In the end, I just left it how it was and moved on, trying to not pay attention to this catastrophe and hoping naively that sooner or later the canonic ethereal mane would return to me and the problem would gone by itself. Unfortunately, this outstanding event doesn’t want to happen… “You definitely should visit spa!” Rarity suggested, brimming with enthusiasm. “Head-dress, mask of fur, hoofcure, massage, steam room, balmy bath, professional cleaning of teeth…” She advertised glowingly. Massage you say… Massage is a good thing, yeah. I should go for it because of massage. And yeah — professional cleaning of teeth is a very interesting idea as well. If my “saw” made of fangs shines — it will be on twenty percents cooler than now, heh-heh… “I’ll think about it.” I decided to answer indefinably for the moment. “Not today for sure. And yeah, of course it would be possible if the spa will not close only because of my approaching.” A wry chuckle crept on my face. “They better not!” Rarity shook her head martially. “If they force me to go unclean only because of you going with me — there will be no mercy!” Mare bended the brows unkindly. “You should notify them beforehand about my visit. It helped with the doctors: they were shivering, but healed me. With few exceptions.” I shrugged with my wings. I made it. Unfortunately, it’s not that emotional as with shoulders, but I can’t use them. “I’ll try.” Rarity nodded. “And I still didn’t answer about the gift… It was just so… Unexpectedly.” She smiled a little bit nervously. “So, what Fluttershy likes?” I changed the topic for Rarity. “Well…” She dove into thoughts. “For the starters — Fluttershy doesn’t like gifts themselves: she hesitates terribly, so it’s not an easy task to give her something. And even if it’s possible to persuade her to take a bagatelle, she won’t take something expensive by no means, especially from a little-known pony.” “Interesting…” I rubbed forehead above my horn thoughtfully. “Why is it so?” “Our Flutty is the very definition of shyness.” Designer sighed. “Honestly — I’m not sure that you would be even able to talk with her. And it’s not just because you’re the Mare in the Moon, but because she hesitates to talk to strangers in general.” “We’re acquainted. Relatively.” I chuckled. “And moreover — it’s she who stood up for me.” “Fluttershy couldn’t do otherwise, Nightmare.” Mare shook with her head. “In that situation she would stand up for anyone. It’s not without reason that her Element is Kindness.” “After your descriptions I’m surprised that she even joined you.” It was really interesting to me about the things that drove this silent and shy pegasus against the scary Mare in the Moon through the frightening Everfree forest and gloomy ruins of an old castle. “She’s not got that many friends, as you could guess.” Rarity sighed quietly once again. “This is why she appreciates them. Poor Fluttershy, even though she was shivering like an asp leaf, but went with us back then. Because friendship is stronger than her fears.” Unicorn drew the line with a determined voice. “Okay… So, a golden statue of Fluttershy, three times above her isn’t suited for that… What a shame.” I stretched the words out discomposedly and chuckled when I saw the elongated face of my interlocutor. “I’m kidding.” “What a shame.” Rarity parodied me. “I was ready to ask you about the same thing for me.” She sighed falsely, and we laughed together. “So, it’s clear what she doesn’t like. But what she does?” I specified when the laughter gone. “Animals, books about animals, cute bagatelles for animals…” The mare started to recite. “I got it.” I stopped her after a few second, understanding that there are no points without the “animals” part. I wouldn’t give her a book — there’s a great chance of her having it already. Honestly — I can’t give her a toy: it’s unsubstantial and just not compared to what she’d done… “Listen, what about something in your store that she likes?” I addressed to the unicorn. “The things she likes either already bought by her or were granted to her by others.” Rarity shook her head. Dammit, a dead end as well. “Then I don’t even know…” I rubbed my forehead perplexedly. No ideas, except for an idiotic one: bite Fluttershy — maybe she’d turn into cute Flutterbat? “Hm… You know, I’d try to find a cheap jewel about the nature. Something like a hairpin that seems like a leaf, for example.” My interlocutor advised after a few second. Good thought. “I’ll try.” I sharply nodded in answer. “An interesting hint.” “Happy to help, Nightmare.” Rarity smiled somewhat gloomily and rose from the table with a smooth move. “Thanks, Rarity.” I followed her, nodding in answer. “And for tea, unfortunately without a cake…” I just wanted to smile, but a thought came swiftly into my mind… Rarity, by her worried look at the watch, did the same. It’s almost evening, but Spike and Pinkie still didn’t come back! I read my bewilderment out aloud. “I think I know what’s happened.” The designer stretched out in answer. “Poor Spikey got caught and now forced to stay in “Sugarcube corner”!” She put a hoof on her forehead expressively for a few seconds and moved to the exit. I chuckled and followed her. “Are you going to Fluttershy?” Rarity asked already in the hall. “Firstly to the market, and then — yes, to Fluttershy.” I made clear. “Sorry, I can’t show you the way now: I must rescue Spikey, Pinkie got a little… excited there with the baking.” Unicorn admitted a bit discomposedly. “Won’t you mind if I just told you where to go?” “No, why will I?” I looked at the mare dazedly. “Don’t make your chevalier wait during troubles, milady, every second is precious!” I put a hoof on my chest passionately and didn’t stop myself and started to laugh. Designer joined me with her melodious laughter after a moment. “Okay, I’ll go.” I waved to the mare with my wing when the laughter ended and she instructed me about the way to the market and to the house of the yellow pegasus. “Goodbye, Rarity. It was a pleasure to meet you.” “Goodbye, Nightmare Moon. It was for me too.” She nodded in answer. I turned back and moved away, clinking with my shoes on the stone of streets. The day drags to evening, it’s time to get a gift for Fluttershy and visit her until it gets dark. “And Nightmare…” I was called from behind. I turned around to the thoughtful unicorn, following me with her somewhat strange gaze. “Laugh more often, please. When you laugh — you have such a living look.”