“Enjoy your meal, Nightmare.”
“Thanks, you too.” I nodded to Tia and looked at the table with doubt. I don’t know what to look at first.
Some soup, porridge with vegetables, three salads, one of which is a fruit one… And a bunch of flowers. For the last bit.
Celestia wasn’t hurrying to show me to the masses for some reason: I and Princess were the only ones in a small dining room. Teleported, ordered to throw a party, came back for me…
Yeah, teleportation is not everybody’s cup of tea… Of course, maybe it’s about getting used to it — I don’t know… But it’s like you’ve been washed in a washing machine and wrung on a thousand eight hundred revolutions in the end. Head still feels a little bit dizzy, “enjoying” me with a feeling as if the eyes were narrowed to the nose and there’s no way to put them straight at the same time.
“It will pass away quickly.” Tia reassured, for which my strains aren’t a mystery. “If you use teleportation regularly — you get used to it.”
“Nightmarish feeling.” I closed left eye and moved it all the way to the right, trying to somehow get rid of the false crossed eyes.
Princess, judging by a little bit unnatural face, clearly swallowed a chuckle.
“Soup?” She offered after a few seconds.
“Why not.” I shut eyes tight and then blinked swiftly. It seems a bit easier now.
Tia poured a dense liquid of bright orange color into the bowls. “Sun in a bowl.” An association came into my mind.
“Pumpkin cream soup with carrot and potato.” Princess presented.
Don’t like pumpkin that much, but overall looking… Is positive. There’s no association coming from my mind. I grabbed a spoon from the table and…
“Nightmare, it’s a salad spoon. The right one is for the soup.”
Yeah, thanks, nice fucking idea! I looked at Princess with a listless gaze from under my brows and, with barely audible sigh, drew out the soup with the salad spoon.
Wow! Great! The pumpkin almost doesn’t feel… Very good indeed.
Drawing back, I lifted the Tia’s noted spoon and, drawing out, touched a drop.
“And where’s the difference?” I looked at the alicorn, which still examining me with some sad thoughtfulness.
Celestia gazed a questioning look.
“What is the fundamental difference, which cistern to use, if the final taste is the same? I don’t see different in comfort as well.” I twisted the soup spoon before my eyes, put aside, lifted up the salad one…
Etiquette is good to an extent. I can use fork, spoon and knife easily, don’t slurp, don’t throw tea around, don’t blow nose in the tablecloth and don’t fix eyes at a phone at table — and I thought that it was relatively enough. But clear quirks like different spoons for different kinds of soup, different towels for the left and right hands and different looks of faces for eating different foods I cannot understand at all. For whom and with what purpose does it exist?! Humans had time to waste… And, as it turned out, not only humans.
“I should have guessed it after your letter…” Ending with the soup after some time, Tia said tiredly, putting aside the empty bowl.
“I wrote what I was asked for.” I shrugged with wings, ending with my portion as well. It was tasty…
“Did it really hurt Twilight?”
I looked away from the bowl and gazed at Princess dazedly.
Celestia chuckled, noticing my reaction.
“Wasn’t a mystery. The letter was sent through Spike, it means she saw it.”
“And?”
“Maybe Twilight is not from the oldest and greatest, but still from an aristocratic family — it means that she knows the rules of conversation in the privileged circles, even though she wasn’t interested in it…” Alicorn smiled a little bit sadly. “However, she possesses the writing etiquette clearly. And the fact that you wrote a letter with a pencil can be described in the high places as disrespect and as a serious insult by itself. Even absence of titling and official greeting are piece of cake at this background. I understand that you wasn’t able to get the needed knowledge, but Twilight surely counted it as insult to me.”
“Aha-a…” I prolonged.
So Twi, as it turned out, wasn’t offended for herself, but for the mentor…
“It’s nothing, I’ll write her to bear no grudge against you.” Tia smiled softly.
“Thanks. But I’d continue to use pencil. These quills…”
“I understand your problems.” Princess nodded. “But still try to get used to quill. You’re an alicorn, and you will have to communicate with the aristocracy anyways.”
“I’ll never take a quill in my life.” I cringed. “And if some noble would be offended — just come to me and say it to my face.” I smiled malevolently, exposing the “saw” of fangs.
“Nightmare. Even so, try, please.” Celestia looked at me with reproof.
How does she do it, how? One stare, five words — and I feel like a capricious child, whose mother exhaustedly persuades him to not be naughty and behave well.
I looked at Princess gloomily.
“Second?” She offered calmly.
“Second.” I accepted.
This porridge was strange. I not only have not tasted it — I haven’t seen it.
“Rye porridge with garnish of carrots.” Alicorn explained, seeing my questioning gaze.
The dish wasn’t the best one, but, at least, it felt rather satisfying. Then we ended the salads, and Tia, with one move of her horn, put together the empty dishes on a stealthy hidden trolley at the door, and started to show the desert — tea and bakery…
Watching half-eyed as Princess slowly, after a meticulous examination, one by one, transfers cakes, pastries, and other sweets to the table, I pulled the flower I liked from the jug with the bouquet and, after twisting it in front of my eyes and sniffing it, bit off the bud. It pleasured me with a nice flavor with some honey hint, unfortunately faint and watery.
When Celestia ended with table appointments of the most important dishes of our lunch and again took her place, I was ending with a fifth flower.
“Not bad, but roses were more delicious.” I followed her gaze, which was on the half-filled vase with flowers.
“Roses?”
“Yeah… There was a magnificent bush of those back in the garden… Came closer to just sniff, but couldn’t hold myself. Tasted a few…”
Damn it, they were smelling so seductively… I haven’t eaten since morning, Princess went to the servants to set the table. I got excited because of boredom, came closer, smelled it… Take a bud into mouth, bid the scape, started to chew… This taste is superior! I didn’t hold myself — ate a few because of the hunger… Well, not a few — a little bit more…
“You… My roses…” Princess looked through me with a loss.
Damn. I think I did something wrong… But I was hungry, God damn it!
“O, Celestia!…” Alicorn screened her face with a tip of a wing for a moment.
E-e… What?!
“What-what did you say?” I narrowed eyes acidly, leaning forward.
“N-nothing!” The Princess of the Sun’s gaze started to run around, and crimson color started to swiftly appear on her cheeks.
“I think I just…”
“it’s just your eyes playing tricks on you!” Tia broke me off mid-word swiftly, laying back her ears, that now have the same color as the cheeks.
“How long has it been with you?…” Chuckling, I made a washy gesture.
“Don’t remember! Caught it from the subjects.” Princess grumbled shyly, gazing at the table.
“You look cute when you blush.” I smiled to Tia. Smile turned into a victorious chuckle, when she turned red even more.
“You’re too.” Celestia lifted her eyes suddenly.
“Huh, when was it?” I scowled.
“When you teared the pillow to pieces against a wall.” Princess slapped with her lashes innocently.
A, damn it, it’s right… Wait! It could be seen even through my dark fur?
“Of course.” Celestia giggled, covering her mouth with a tip of a wing. “It’s not only the skin that turns red, but the fur itself as well, changing its color, like when cutie mark appears.”
“Did I say it aloud?..” The question sounded, surprisingly, pathetically, and cheeks and tips of ears, unfortunately for me, were filled with heat traitorously. Damn it!
Tia, tittering, started to laugh quietly, forcing me to indignantly gaze at her with a lightning bolt.
“Oh, Nightmare!… Forgive me please, but it was so… Cute! I couldn’t hold myself.” Princess looked at me disarmingly, ending her laugh.
“I have been recognized as cute and was laughed at — now only my painful death can wash this endless disgrace!” I waved away hopelessly. “In fact, it’s better to pour the tea!”
“I thought that you’re serious for a moment.” Alicorn said thoughtfully after a surprisingly steadfast gaze, taking a kettle with telekinesis at the same time. “May I inquire what’s disgraceful in being cute?”
“Will many take this serious from a… Pony with such a reputation?” I chuckled.
“You’ve called me cute yourself.” Celestia waved with a wing. “Have it influenced your attitude towards me?”
“Maybe… It’s too early to say. Thanks.” I accepted the tea bowl from Princess. The tea itself was very close to rather potent and sugarless black one by the taste — mouth-puckering and bitter. I hastened to chase away the bitterness with a muffin.
“And yeah, I still haven’t asked you about your health, Nightmare. Horn, wings? Any improvements?” Kissing the cup as well, Tia gave mouth after a pause.
“Well…” I shook my head indefinably. “By the way: is there any job for an alicorn with horn inserted upside down, and wings, that are growing from the croup?”
“Pfhhh…” Princess choked over her tea. “Nightmare! I asked you — do not think of yourself worse than you are!” She looked at me with reproof. “You’re a normal pony, you just have to recover yourself and… Is it really that bad?”
“I don’t have any clue how it should be.” I spitted truth. “But I don’t think it should be the way it is now.”
Tia sliced and ate a slab of cake with deeply thoughtful look on her face.
“You have been medically examined, right?” She finally addressed to me, clearing her lips with a towel accurately. “Wouldn’t be too hard for you to remember the diagnosis that taumalogist had made?”
“Is it one about the magic?” I specified the barely known term. Princess nodded positively. “I wouldn’t remember it very accurately now. I remember his advise to not overuse horn and do magic less generally.”
“Okay.” Celestia started to think again. “I guess he hadn’t understood what he was handling, so just said general and harmless recommendations — Luna’s recommendations are not the same… Would you mind if you attend my castle doctor? She’s the best in her field and, I think, can establish a more precise diagnosis.”
So Luna is a cabbage now as well? It would be nice if she stays like this more than me… And ideally — forever, scumbag… Of course, it’s only dreams, but who knows?
About the doctor… I doubt the possibility of Tia, keeping a bad specialist in the castle. Even though the doctor back in Ponyville really tried, overcoming fear, but if his recommendation aren’t trustful for ancient and worldly-wise Princess, then, as I assume, she knows better…
“If she wouldn’t look under my tail and wouldn’t panic — I’m fine with that.” I nodded.
“She wouldn’t panic.” Celestia assured. “And… It can be hard, Nightmare, but try to treat her… Gently. Doctor Hubris can be a little proud and, sometime, reveal some indelicacy, but I assure you, that she’s a wonderful specialist. And yeah, she wouldn’t look under your tail as well… Will you share why did you emphasize that? Hard time with equalogist?”
“M-m… Let’s say it’s not the best procedure out there.” I grumbled. “And hey, why is this even obligatory?! As if alicorn could have problems with illnesses…”
“They can, even though it’s a very seldom occasion.” Tia nodded to my surprise. “Only serious illnesses can get us, many of them are deadly for ordinary ponies, and even though they they go in a mild case, but I think, that without proper treatment, such sicknesses can kill even us. And the reproductive system is a problem on its own for us.” Princess sighed. “Alas, but because of our power, pregnancy is a very rare, unique occasion.”
“How’s that?” I got interested reflexively.
“Let me start from far off.” Celestia, making her last sip, put the empty tea bowl aside. “As we all know, any living creature exists in the Universe because of magic…”
I chuckled quietly. Interesting take.
“Moreover, only because of it rational beings had a chance to appear, such as ponies, griffons, dragons and many others. But magic doesn’t allow us to just fly, move clouds, make spells or just take items in fore hooves.” Alicorn glued the kettle to her leg demonstratively, lifted and put back.” It also stealthily protects all of us from various external inputs. Magic of every pony is unique and one of a kind, and it perceives any other magic, except for the original “rude” energy, taking it as an invasion, which should be driven away. And if in the case of insignificant difference in strength between ponies it is hardly noticeable, in the case, when the mare is an alicorn, it becomes almost an unsolvable problem: the stallion’s seed, carrying his magic, is naturally perceived by her magic as a threat, and the response to this threat inevitably destroys all life in the seed along with the alien energy, turning it into just a dead liquid — no more.”
Interesting things… No wonder, that you can count alicorns with hooves of one pony. I am curious — where Cadence came from then?… She turned into?
“It seems, that alicorns are sterile because of this indirect cause? And after so many years you couldn’t think of anything to solve it?” I had a doubt.
“O, I and Luna had been trying for decades, when we weren’t desperate yet!” Tia chuckled sadly. “Poisons, magical influence, attempts to find a stallion-alicorn… Once upon a time we were seriously discussing an idea of turning one of us into this very stallion!”
Hell yeah…
“And how it went? Any result?” I leaned forward mindlessly.
“On practice — no. Because of the need to affect an intelligent living creature with the condition not to cause it any harm, there comes a very costly transformation, which, in the case with an alicorn, as it turned out, becomes impossible at all because of the higher resistance of our race. Maximum of it — transformation of a mare-pegasus into a stallion for approximately thirty-thirty two hours. We didn’t succeed in turning each other.”
“O-okay…” Damn it! I just started to wonder…
“Actually, I think it’s good that nothing worked out.” Princess suddenly smiled. “It’s unknown how this transformation could affect the breed, and neither I nor Luna were wishing to become stallions”
Yeah, I can understand it…
“One way or another, but all attempts to find a stallion with right amount of powerful magic gave no results. But honestly, now I have one guess how to get over this problem with so fatal inequality in power… It’s strange that this thought didn’t occur before.” Tia looked at me thoughtfully. “What if we don’t strengthen the stallion, but decrease the mare’s powers until the state that you and Luna are in? I think, that the possibility of a successful impregnation is rather high in that case…”
I feel a lump in the throat.
Oh, fuck… This is why she needed weakened Nightmare… It’s… I’m…
“Of course I cannot decide such a serious choice for you and impose it.” Princess continued just as if nothing happened. “Just know that you have the rarest possibility now — give a new beautiful life to this world. Surely this possibility wouldn’t be gone at all in the future, but the chances of a success would be, alas, very small…”
A-a… Yeah…
I looked at the table in prostration, hearing my heart’s roar. Damned horse! I almost turned gray…
“Nightmare, something happened?” Tia noticed my state.
“No, it’s nothing.” I forced a mimic of smile onto my face.
“I think I got a little bit excited and went too far.” Celestia smiled ruefully. “I guess it sounded like I offer you to swiftly grab the first available stallion and heartily engage in propagation with him. I didn’t mean that. Sorry.”
“That’s… Fine.” I swallowed the lump in my throat with force.
“It’s hard to see how generations change and death comes to relatives, friends and others for centuries…” Tia dropped quietly after a short uncomfortable pause. “Only another alicorn could enter into my longevity, but until recent times I was the only one from our race… There could not be — and must not be — a lot of alicorns, but I dream of days when there would be at least a dozen of us…”
Princess was telling it quietly, like only for herself. A feeling was in the air, that what she said was not for my ears, something very personal.
“At least you could share your loneliness with mortals.” I galled Celestia with some disgust, but then called down: it’s not her fault and not her fault alone. In the end, she’s a ruler of a country, and have to defend it, what she did. Nightmare did her duty, fighting Tia, Tia — hers, protecting Equestria. But Luna betrayed both of us. You’re very risking, allowing her close to you, Celly — a lot more, than allowing me to you…
“To relatives?” I worked out the courage to mention an odd word.
“My daughter was a unicorn.” Thoughtfully, Tia answered on my perplexity with a sad smile. “She passed away in eighty three. Almost before my eyes…”
I nodded slowly, trying to digest information.
“From the other side, nowadays her — and thereof my — direct descendant lives, Prince Blueblood, in some manner continuing the deed of my dear Sunbeam, remembering and respecting her, as his own ancient ancestor… It’s egoistic to wish her return just because of your own desire, right?” Tia smiled weakly. “She lived a good life. And sometimes I find myself, that I envy her…” Princess was in deep thought, gazing into nowhere.
…
I slowly walked backed and forth and regretted, that I don’t have arms to put behind my back. And the double clopping sound of steps barely resembled the usual thundering of thin bottoms of heavy boots on polished concrete.
Making another circle, I cringed: metronome, made of steps, which always helped to think, was hopelessly broken: “Clop-clop, clop-clop, clop-clop, clop-clop” rather breaks train of thought with its unusual rhythm, what helped. Sniffing angrily, I stopped.
Yeah, Tia made me nervous… I can understand her worriment about small number of alicorns, but she told about it in such a way!
I shivered nervously.
I can understand her, of course, but participate in this situation’s solution is not my desire — udder between the legs is disincentivise a bit…
And heck with all of this! I should think less about it — for my own good…
After that, we talked about magic and flights. Tia said, that feeling things with telekinesis is good and right: its sensitivity in normal state almost catches up the hooves, and the fact, that I barely feel with it, will go away after a time, if my and Luna’s diagnosis are similar. However, with its magic sensitivity back, it would be more painful to scrabble at something with it. Asking, if the horn was a natural weapon of ancient unicorns — sharp, long — I learned one interesting fact from Celestia: it was and, what’s more interesting, it still is. With a force of will you can block the flow of magic in horn — you wouldn’t be able to make spells, but the sensitivity will be almost next to none, so it’d allow you to realistically spike it into someone: horn, after all, is a bone, and a very solid one. On the other hand, when magic is actively used, sensitivity increases noticeably, and a blow to the horn at such a moment can, if strong enough, even lead to loss of consciousness from painful shock.
Then the conversation smoothly flowed into flight’s topic, but we hadn’t time to talk about it: Tia looked at the clock and with wide-eyes swiftly brought me to the taumalogist.
It turned out that the castle had its own hospital, staffed with the latest magic instruments, but, as I understood it, without permanent staff: the right specialist, certified as worthy to treat the royal person, was called here as needed from the main place of work. And this specialist, as it seems, has already come, but we forgot our time over talk a bit…
Anyway, Princess teleported us both to the medical wing and, leaving me to pace the waiting room, went to put her doc wise.
O, here she is, I guess: I can hear approaching sound of steps behind the door.
“Sorry for the hold back, Nightmare.” Princess went to me. “Unfortunately, I haven’t had opportunity to tell you everything beforehand. Come, you’re being awaited.” Tia stepped back, giving me way. “I have to go now, but I’ll come back for you, when you’re done.”
“Listen, what this secrecy’s purpose is all about?” I wanted to lean forward, but stopped mid-step from the question in my mind. “I think, that half of the castle knows about my presence. Guards, attendants… Ponyville…”
“Attendants?” Tia raised a brow. Some foretaste blinked in her gaze. “Attendants have never seen you.”
“But the pillow under my head was?…” I didn’t finish, feeling my face turning red under Celestia’s victorious stare. Realization stood before eyes.
“O, forget it.” Alicorn giggled. “It wasn’t hard for me.”
“It was for me.” I grumbled, flipping mane onto my face to cover behind it. “Why did you do that?”
“It wasn’t comfortable without a pillow for you.” Tia became confused a bit in answer. “And there’s no one to take care of you except me.”
“I would ask why do you need to take care of me and how it stems from “just a second chance”, but…” I waved off hopelessly. I would never understand this horse… “You better tell me — how this secrecy goes together with Ponyville?”
“Citizens of Canterlot are too important to be interested in some rumors from a province.” Princess smiled sadly. “Furthermore, Ponyville is situated near the Everfree forest and known as a place rich for different events… Anecdotes are just part of the routine, like: “A huge hungry dragon has attacked Ponyville, but locals didn’t notice that during doing their routine.” or “The most destructive flood for two centuries, that crushed Ponyville, was awarded in the local newspaper with a sketch in the “humor” category”. So only a few believes in rumors from there, and if Ponyville doesn’t set afire on the horizon, and there’s no refugees from there, thus the Mare in the Moon in the town is just a rumor.”
“I got it.” I chuckled at the Princess’ anecdotes. I liked the last one. “Okay, I’m going.”
“Will see you soon.” Celestia nodded and, tiding my mane with a playful smile, teleported.
I felt my blush. Why she?! What I? Damn it, she did it on purpose! On the God-damn purpose!!!
Sniffing angrily, I opened the door and came in.
A snicker was heard behind my back. Just a feeling, I guess…
…
Entering the already known guest chambers, I fell onto the bed with a moan and rolled over on back, hanging head from an edge, unfolding wings, leaving half-bent legs to stick out upward. Finally, evening!
Head was boiling, horn was tingling, a phantom feeling of slight tickle from diagnostic spells was running across my whole body.
This doctress exhausted me as hell… Cocky bastard. How did she even dare?! There can be only one cocky bastard — me! Thought caused a chuckle.
But the mare was, if we put jokes aside, not a gift. It’s good that the most of the time her brain had an understanding to talk trash with others, not personally me: she was afraid of me a bit and tried to demonstrate straight professionalism towards me. But she wasn’t shy to talk about others, being a fearful example of mix of arrogance and egotism with talkativeness. “What? Using magic less”? It’s unfortunate that you didn’t make even an effort to remember the precise diagnosis, but with this one, so-called, “recommendation” I can surely state, that it’s as far from the reality as the primitive country craftsman, which stated it, from a real doctor, like me! Even a slightly trained medpony must see just from one look, that it’s a rare isolated situation of atypical general magical insufficiency!” And something like that, stopping only from time to time. It was bearable, until this gossip got used and stopped being afraid of me, quickly losing all her straight professionalism… My patience lasted until the doctor, finally becoming bold enough, began to comment me and even make some plans! Aloud!!! She was like “Yeah, you’re not the most handsome out there, but if you show an extraordinary effort, then my silly brother, maybe, will pay attention to you. And union with a person close to Princess herself can positively influence your disastrous reputation…” But, when my shoe flew before her nose right into a door of a massive wooden cabinet, forcing the cabinet to reel with clash and leaving a solid dint in the wood, she understood her mistake and, shivering under my furious gaze, finally shut up. After that, I didn’t hear unnecessary words from her for the whole evening. Regrets as well. It seems that it’s “infra dig” for her. In any case, it didn’t worsen my mood: eyes, full of dread on the pale face, quickly restored it until its common, kindhearted state.
Ending her job, Hubris reported to Celestia, not looking in my direction demonstratively, and hastened to leave presence of a “criminal with gross reputation”, and I, after discussing everything with Tia shortly, was teleported to the already known room with regrets about the behavior of the subjects and wishes of good rest.
About the diagnosis and its consequences: for me it barely changed, except for the harsh opposite recommendation — use magic frequently, but not complex one to not overburn. Basically, half the evening I was doing right that: carrying different weights with telekinesis, putting my energy into crystals and drawing it back, lightening and extinguishing magical fireflies and others. Why — only Celestia knows, offended taumalogist didn’t say a lot about it, just handed over the report to Princess, and I didn’t insist, thinking about it just only as a training, that it’s not extra in my conditions.
Well, of course, this one was hell of a day… In the morning I thought, that I won’t make it, but no, I did it. I will suffer more for a while Dinner with Tia went interesting as well. Then this doctress… Stupid a bit… Exhausted me, damn it, with different exercises, but it’s only good for me. At least extinguishing and lightening of the local magical bulbs are not a challenge for me anymore — I have been practicing a lot. Chuckling shortly, dragged energy from a lamp by the worked out effort, leaving the room in darkness. Okay. It’s time to sleep. I spreadeagled on the bed leisurely, getting comfortable, and shut my eyes…
